PRIVATE CLIENT. Your legal guide for life

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1 PRIVATE CLIENT Your legal guide for life

2 Helping you to make the right decisions Our aim is to provide our clients with quality legal advice across the broad range of private client services within an agreed and affordable budget. We can guide you through what can often appear to be a legal minefield to achieve the outcome that is best for you. We have a team of specialists that work together to pool experience and resources across a wide range of disciplines. FAMILY TRUSTS PERSONAL TAX ADVICE ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES DISPUTE RESOLUTION CONTENTIOUS TRUSTS AND PROBATE WILLS AND POST DEATH PLANNING COURT OF PROTECTION INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE

3 YOUR LEGAL GUIDE FOR LIFE Trusts There are many reasons for putting assets into trust. You might wish to protect family members from the dangers of sudden wealth or provide for the education of a grandchild. If you have received compensation for a personal injury placing that compensation into trust will preserve your entitlement to state benefits. Family Our family team is here to provide specialist indepth advice when relationships break down. We can deal expertly with issues regarding your children and the financial consequences following the separation of a couple, be they married or unmarried. Our services also include advising on prenuptial agreements and civil partnership dissolution. We provide a formation service for lifetime trusts ensuring that you have the most appropriate form of trust for your requirements. In addition we supply a full trust administration service, liaising with trustees and beneficiaries and other professionals including HM Revenue and Customs, preparing accounts and advising on all aspects of UK trust taxation. We offer innovative pricing structures to ensure that our prices are competitive and that you benefit from cost-effective solutions. Sarah Phillips Tel sarah.phillips@freethcartwright.co.uk We are committed members of Resolution (Solicitors Family Law Association) and we are also qualified Collaborative Lawyers. We are highly recommended in Legal 500 and Chambers. We offer sound practical advice and provide support and representation to help you cope with a difficult life experience. Judith Speed Tel judith.speed@freethcartwright.co.uk

4 Personal Tax Advice We have extensive experience of handling personal tax compliance for individuals. We are retained by clients to handle all of their affairs and also provide a 'one-off' service to individuals whose tax affairs have become more complex or who for example have a capital gain return. We can advise on every aspect of your personal tax position and in particular offer tax planning advice in relation to property and share disposals. Our aim is to provide an efficient and friendly service and to ensure that our clients minimise their tax liability whilst avoiding challenges from HM Revenue & Customs. Administration of Estates Our Administration of Estates team can advise on all aspects of estates administration from obtaining a grant of representation through to handling the administration of high value complex estates. We are experienced in preparing inheritance tax returns and advising on tax mitigation where appropriate. We offer a flexible and transparent approach to fees and will be happy to talk to you in advance about costs. We are able to offer a professional, impartial and caring approach to dealing with a person's assets after death. We are happy either to advise on particular aspects of the administration process, for example obtaining a grant of representation, or to manage the administration of the whole estate through to a conclusion. We can also assist with lifetime planning and with increasing numbers of us living longer, it is becoming more important to think about how we will manage our affairs in later life. We are able to advise in relation to powers of attorney, both for financial and healthcare decisions, to ensure that the correct support is set up in readiness for the time that it may be required. We recognise many issues that are important to the older client, and we can assist if you have concerns that someone elderly and potentially vulnerable is being subjected to financial abuse or undue influence by third parties. Nigel Cullen Tel nigel.cullen@freethcartwright.co.uk Dispute Resolution Our team of litigators can advise and represent you in a wide variety of disputes including High Court, County Court and tribunal litigation. They can provide advice and assistance to clients both in trying to resolve disputes by negotiation, mediation and preparing cases for trial. We have specialists who can advise you about employment matters, professional negligence, contractual disputes and property related disputes. We will always consider the most cost efficient way to resolve each case and we are happy to explore alternative forms of funding including conditional fee arrangements and public funding where suitable. We aim to make use of alternative dispute resolution where appropriate to achieve the right result. We have a number of qualified mediators in our team who can assist in resolving disputes. Rachel Gaffney Tel rachel.gaffney@freethcartwright.co.uk Mark Keeley mark.keeley@freethcartwright.co.uk YOUR LEGAL GUIDE FOR LIFE

5 YOUR LEGAL GUIDE FOR LIFE Wills and Post Death Planning We know that looking after loved ones and planning for their future is important to our clients. We think it is important to advise our clients on how to make a will to carry out their wishes effectively and in a straightforward manner. We keep abreast of changes in tax legislation so that we can ensure that our clients have the opportunity to make use of all available post death tax planning options. We recommend that our clients review their wills regularly so that we can advise on the appropriate steps to take in response to significant events in their lives including the birth of a child or grandchild, marriage or divorce, or how best to deal with an inheritance windfall. Chris Golland Tel chris.golland@freethcartwright.co.uk Contentious Trusts and Probate Recent years have seen a substantial rise in contested estates resulting in court cases. Our Contentious Trusts and Probate Team have extensive experience of handling all aspects of contentious trusts and probate disputes. Our team includes two members of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists and as such are recognised for their expertise in this arena. Our approach is to attempt to resolve disputes in a cost effective and time efficient manner. As such we have considerable experience of using alternative dispute resolution techniques including mediation. This allows account to be taken of the wider family and commercial issues which are otherwise often overlooked in court. We adopt an innovative approach to funding and will be happy to explore all funding options with you. Mark Keeley mark.keeley@freethcartwright.co.uk

6 Court of Protection Our Court of Protection team act as professional deputies for clients who are unable to manage their own affairs. We have particular experience in dealing with clients who have suffered brain injuries and recognise that each individual s needs are unique. We also provide advice and assistance to lay deputies dealing with applications to the Court of Protection and in respect of their day to day duties. We have experience of appearing before the Court of Protection can advise on all aspects of non-contentious and contentious Court of Protection work. Sue Miles Tel sue.miles@freethcartwright.co.uk Independent Financial Advice Our Financial Services team provides impartial advice across a broad range of financial areas including: Lump sum investments for both individuals and trusts Inheritance tax planning Retirement planning ISA investments Regular savings University / School fees planning The team looks after a wide range of clients, specialising in wealth management, pensions and inheritance tax mitigation. We look after clients with assets ranging from a few thousand pounds to many millions. We will be happy to meet with you to discuss your specific circumstances. The first appointment is without cost or obligation, should you not wish to proceed. Barbara Dack barbara.dack@freethcartwright.co.uk John Stanley john.stanley@freethcartwright.co.uk YOUR LEGAL GUIDE FOR LIFE

7 BIRMINGHAM DERBY LEICESTER LONDON MANCHESTER MILTON KEYNES NOTTINGHAM STOKE ON TRENT Freeth Cartwright LLP Cumberland Court 80 Mount Street Nottingham NG1 6HH DX Nottingham 1 Tel +44 (0) We are authorised and regulated by both the Solicitors Regulation Authority and Financial Services Authority.