About Private Client Law
When Private Clients ask questions, they expect answers - right away. But when you’re working across so many different areas of the subject day to day, it’s impossible to hold it all in your head. In addition finding the answer often means cross-referencing several different sources – from the latest legislation to the Law Society’s most up-to-date guidance.
Will Precedents
Precedents covering the most common scenarios in this area. Drafting notes accompany each clause - incorporating the latest developments like Will drafting considerations for inheritance tax residence nil rate band.
Court of Protection
Our Court of Protection topic covers both property and finance, and health and welfare Court of Protection applications. It’s geared at both the Court of Protection specialist practitioner and the occasional user.
Trust compliance
Topics include beneficial ownership transparency, the Money Laundering Regulations, the Trust Registration Service, obligations relating to data protection and GDPR and offences under the Bribery Act 2010.
Cross-referencing sources
When private clients ask questions, they expect answers quickly. But, working across lots of areas day to day, it’s impossible to hold it all in your head. We’ll help you cross-referencing several different sources.
Topics We Cover
Latest Private Client News
This week’s edition of Private Client highlights includes: (1) Hubbard v Hubbard, where the lack of credible evidence resulted in the disallowance of...
This Q&A considers whether a trust of a life policy, which otherwise falls within the definition of an 'excluded trust' as set out in the Money...
Tax analysis: On 28 April 2025, the government announced a package of technical tax policy proposals aimed at simplifying and reforming the tax system...
Tax analysis: In Refinitiv Ltd v HMRC, the First-tier Tax Tribunal (FTT) directed that HMRC issue closure notices in respect of enquiries into 2018...
Private Client analysis: The High Court has resolved a dispute between two executors over the funeral arrangements for their father, a devout Hindu....
Latest Private Client Practice Notes
Requirements of the company sealThis Practice Note provides practical guidance regarding the requirements of the company seal. Where a company has a...
Charities—governing documentsCharities can adopt a variety of different legal forms or structures. A charity’s governing documents will depend on the...
Family investment companiesFamily investment companies (FICs) have been established as an estate planning vehicle for many years and their popularity...
Non-resident non-domiciliaries—income tax and capital gains tax issuesSTOP PRESS: Abolition of non-dom regime and introduction of residence-based IHT...
PSC register—practical examplesThe framework of the people with significant control (PSC) regime, which originally took effect on 6 April 2016, is set...
Latest Private Client Precedents
CodicilI [insert name] of [insert address] declare this to be the [first OR second] codicil to my Will which is dated [date of Will] [as amended by my...
Clause for an index linked legacy1In clause 2 below, ‘the Sum’ means the sum of money produced by dividing the sum of £[insert amount of legacy] by...
Appointment of general executors and separate literary executors, with gift of literary estateI appoint:•[name of spouse] [also] of [address of...
Appointment of separate executors for UK property and foreign property1I appoint:1.1[full name of first executor] of [full address of first executor];...
Clause giving conditional or non—conditional monetary gift to executorsI give [free of tax] to [each of] [insert full name or names of...
Latest Private Client Q&As
Featured Private Client content
Can a power of attorney lapse or expire or does it last indefinitely? Does it need to be updated or 'refreshed'?
Death in service benefits
Death in service benefitsOverview of the types of death in service benefits and their tax treatmentThere are three types of death in service...
Nature and classification of trusts—the three certainties
Nature and classification of trusts—the three certaintiesCertaintyIn order for a settlor to create a private express trust the three certainties must...
Lifetime gifts
Lifetime giftsA lifetime gift is a gratuitous transfer of ownership of any property between living persons and not made in expectation of death. In...
Exemptions and reliefs from income tax
Exemptions and reliefs from income taxFor income tax rates and allowances applicable in the current tax year, see Practice Note: Key UK tax rates,...
Payment of legacies
Payment of legaciesIdentification of beneficial interestsThe personal representatives (PRs) of an estate must identify:•the beneficiary or...
Liferent trusts—Scotland
Liferent trusts—ScotlandLiferent trustsA liferent trust (or trust liferent) is a trust which, when settled, confers a use and income benefit, or both,...
Notaries and notarisation—notarisation
Notaries and notarisation—notarisationThe principles of the notarial act are that it is:•an act of the notary and not of the parties named in the...
Trustees—self-dealing, unauthorised profits and conflicts of interest
Trustees—self-dealing, unauthorised profits and conflicts of interestThe self-dealing ruleThe self-dealing rule is connected to, but distinct from,...
Benevolent funds
Benevolent fundsFORTHCOMING CHANGE: The Charities Act 2022 (CA 2022) received Royal Assent on 24 February 2022 and will be implemented on a staggered...
Creation of trusts—life insurance trusts
Creation of trusts—life insurance trustsDefining life insurance trustsA life insurance trust usually involves either:•an assignment of an insurance...
CGT—PPR relief for UK residents with overseas dwellings and non-UK residents with UK dwellings
CGT—PPR relief for UK residents with overseas dwellings and non-UK residents with UK dwellingsPrincipal private residence relief (PPR relief) exempts...
When can a mistake in an executed deed be rectified by a manuscript amendment rather than by a deed of rectification?
Calculating the IHT charge on death
Calculating the IHT charge on deathThis Practice Note outlines how to calculate the amount of inheritance tax (IHT) that arises on an individual’s...
Protectors
ProtectorsWhat is a protector?A protector is a person who holds powers under a trust but who is not a trustee. A protector is a person who is...
A trust holds the beneficial ownership of shares in a company of which one trustee is a director. Of the three beneficiaries, two are adults and there is a declaration of trust in respect of the shares held for them. The other is a minor and there is a separate declaration of trust for him. What would or should happen to the company shares on the death of a beneficiary? Neither declaration of trust deals with this issue.
The Cy-près doctrine
The Cy-près doctrineFORTHCOMING CHANGE: The Charities Act 2022 (CA 2022) received Royal Assent on 24 February 2022 and will be implemented on a...
Perpetuities and accumulations
Perpetuities and accumulationsThe rules relating to perpetuities and accumulations stem from the common law and the provisions in the Perpetuities and...
Associated legal terms
Additional voluntary contributions (AVCs)
Contributions a scheme member elects to make over and above their normal contributions to secure extra benefits.
Beneficiary
A person who has a interest'>beneficial interest in property under a trust.
Joint property
Property in which ownership is indivisibly vested in two or more persons (cf common property).
CONTACT US
