Trusts Tax and Estate Planning  

At May May & Merrimans we offer expert advice on all aspects of personal taxation and financial planning. Our aim is to help you achieve your financial goals, both short and long term. We provide a comprehensive service in structuring your affairs with a view to maximising personal and family wealth, whether it comprises your house or land or valuable chattels, business property or other investments. Few clients are indifferent to the burdens of tax we all face, and our knowledge of current tax saving schemes, and of the pitfalls for the unwary, will enable you to consider all the options and decide on the approach best suited to your individual circumstances. Our reputation has been built on over 200 years' experience of managing private clients' affairs and we are totally committed to continuing that tradition by finding solutions to the challenges of asset management in the 21st century.

Strategic tax planning - we have detailed knowledge of the appropriate structures for holding assets, whether through trusts, companies or partnerships. For the individual private client we can offer and implement advice on wills and lifetime gifts or settlements and on minimising capital taxation. We have extensive experience of the complex tax reliefs available for heritage property, and of advising how to extract the maximum benefit from them.

Wills and Powers of Attorney - your will is a vitally important part of planning to meet family circumstances and substantial tax savings can be achieved by a correctly drawn will. Powers of attorney are also crucial in providing for management of your affairs if you should encounter either sudden or long term health problems.

Probate and Administration of estates - we provide comprehensive estate administration services offering specialist expertise in handling the difficult circumstances following a bereavement, assembling details of estate assets, obtaining probate, dealing with Inheritance Tax issues and distributing the estate; administering intestate estates and dealing with contested wills.

Trusts - we can advise on all questions of trust law, and deal with the drafting and execution of trust and settlement documents in many contexts. We carry out the day-to-day administration of about 200 trusts owning many different asset types. Our expertise in specialist trust and tax matters also covers setting up charitable trusts and trusts of life insurance policies.

Tax - we provide comprehensive tax services in the administration of trusts and estates and the preparation of tax returns for individuals. These services also extend to offshore trusts and overseas residents, and the impact of double tax treaties.

Portfolio Management - as established family lawyers our clients look to us not only for advice on purely legal matters but also for guidance in managing their general finances. We have close links with stockbrokers and other independent advisers which enable us to offer access to a wide range of high quality financial services, particularly in the areas of investments and insurance.

Estate Planning
  • Advice on all aspects on Inheritance tax, Capital Gains Tax and Income Tax
  • Agricultural and business reliefs
  • Heritage property and works of art
  • Charitable gifts
  • Insurance and pension arrangements
  • Overseas aspects
  • Capital taxation planning in the Republic of Ireland
Trusts
  • The establishment and restructuring of trusts
  • Offshore settlements
  • Administration of trusts
  • Preparation of accounts and tax returns
Charities
  • Trust or company, choosing the right medium
  • Formation and administration
  • Charities Act schemes
Wills and Probate
  • Preparation of Wills
  • Advice on post-death inheritance variations
  • Executor and estate administration services
  • Inheritance Tax, property and share valuations
  • Non-UK domiciliaries and overseas property
  • UK Probate for international estates
Personal Financial and Tax Management
  • Preparation of tax returns
  • Managing investments
  • Investing an inheritance
  • Lloyd's underwriting interests
  • Powers of Attorney
  • Court of Protection Orders
  • Tax litigation and appeals
  • Back duty investigations

Please Note: May May & Merrimans is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but we are able in certain circumstances to offer a range of investment services to clients because we are members of the Law Society. We can provide these investment services if they are an incidental part of the professional services we have been engaged to provide.

Key People:
Alexandra Sarkis - profile
David Smyth - profile
Mary Elliott - profile
Julia Richards - profile
Charlotte Simm - profile
Pauline Smith - profile
Rosemary Milns - profile
Paul Camfield - profile
Roddy Steen - profile
Christopher Walsh - profile