Estate Planning Lawyers.

Dying without a will could create a series of problems for those left behind. Many people assume that their closest family and/or loved ones will automatically inherit their estate, but if you die without a will (known as ‘dying intestate’), that may not necessarily be the case. Once the rules of intestacy take over, your assets may not be divided in the way you would have wanted, or your wealth could be reduced through inheritance tax.

The only way you can ensure your estate is distributed properly, is to plan ahead during your lifetime.

It’s easy to put off, but writing a will it’s one of the most important things you can do.

When you put assets in a trust, they are held under the control of appointed people called ‘trustees’. The trustees then manage the trust according to your instructions, even after your death.

There are many reasons why you might use a trust and our experienced team will help put the right structure in place for your circumstances. You might want to support someone who is unable to manage their money themselves due to a brain injury, a mental health condition or a learning disability.

Some other ways a trust can be used include:

• To pass assets on to the next generation safely and tax efficiently
• To fund education for your children in certain circumstances
• To fund education for your grandchildren
• To provide for children and partners from different relationships
• To manage personal injury compensation

Put simply, tax planning means arranging your legal affairs in the most efficient way to minimise the tax burden which fall on your family when the time comes.

It is a very specialised area and can be a daunting prospect, which is why it’s vital to have a team of experienced professionals on your side.

Our friendly and approachable inheritance tax planning lawyers can advise you in all areas of financial planning, including the use of trusts, which can help lower the burden of inheritance tax and capital gains tax.

The Estate Administration Lawyers at Lanyon Bowdler regularly act for clients with business interests at home and abroad, including agricultural land owners, family businesses, entrepreneurs and estates, devising unique solutions to suit individual needs with the focus always on delivering the best service available.

We assist with a wide range of tax, asset protection and succession issues as well as anticipating and preventing family disputes, including:

• Estate planning
• Tax and legal issues on creating, implementing, overseeing and termination of trusts
• Transfer of trusts and wealth businesses
• Inheritance tax and procedures
• Legal and tax implications for clients involved in commercial and residential real estate

Over many years, Lanyon Bowdler has built up a proud reputation of providing a service our clients can trust, and our firm is home to legal professionals in all areas of law.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document which appoints a person of trust to make decisions on your behalf, regarding property, financial or health affairs, at a time in the future when you may no longer be able to make those decisions yourself.

The specialist lawyers here at Lanyon Bowdler have a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding Lasting Power of Attorney law, and will be able to guide you through the process in a sensitive, caring manner.

An LPA for your business will ensure the people you have chosen to do so, can step in to deal with your affairs in the short or long term if you are suddenly and without warning struck down by something like a stroke, brain injury, Alzheimer’s, dementia or Parkinson’s.

There may be other occasions where an LPA will be of benefit – a short-term illness or injury where you may be physically incapable of attending an appointment or are abroad on holiday or business.

The specialist team at Lanyon Bowdler is ready to help and advise you on all aspects of drafting a Lasting Power of Attorney which will ensure the day-to-day business of your company can continue efficiently without you, should the worst happen

If a relative or loved-one is no longer able to manage their affairs, and a power of attorney was not put in place beforehand, we can help you to make an application to the Court of Protection to obtain the permissions you need.

The Court of Protection can make decisions, and can appoint other people to make decisions, for those who lack the mental capacity to do so themselves. Principally these decisions involve health, financial affairs, property and personal welfare.

We pride ourselves on being one of the very few firms in the area with a department dedicated exclusively to working on Court of Protection cases for people with a degenerative condition, such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia, and those with a brain injury (acquired or not).

Our Court of Protection department manages approximately 55 deputyships and trusts with assets of approximately £100 million, putting it on a par with other nationally recognised Court of Protection practices.