Private Wealth & Succession Planning
We understand that the private wealth sector is becoming an increasingly complex environment, and our clients can rely on us to navigate these complexities with them, providing advice to individuals and their families on how to protect their wealth now, and for future generations to come.
Our highly experienced private wealth lawyers work with our clients to help manage and protect our clients wealth by finding tailored solutions right for their individual circumstances. This includes assistance with family services, real estate (both residential and commercial property), landed estates, private client matters including tax planning, and disputes.
Our Family Team has vast experience in dealing with divorces involving high net worth individuals with trust funds, significant pension provision, property portfolios and family companies.
The team have collectively amassed a wealth of experience and expertise in assisting and advising High Net Worth (HNW) clients and their families, business owners, farmers, landowners and entrepreneurs on building, enhancing and protecting their family wealth and businesses.
The team is particularly strong on succession planning and is keen to ensure that clients are able to pass on their businesses and their wealth in a tax-efficient manner to the younger generation of their families thus ensuring continuity.
Disputes relating to private wealth can be difficult and stressful – often arising in a family context. Our Private Wealth Disputes Team provide specialist advice and take pride in assisting clients to navigate these sensitive disputes.
Our team is experienced in assisting with a range of contentious matters, including (but not limited to):
- Will validity claims, including: lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, fraudulent calumny, lack of knowledge and approval
- Equitable claims – such as proprietary estoppel
- Claims for reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
- Trustee Disputes / Breach of trust claims
- Claims relating to trusts of land / beneficial interests in property, including: constructive trusts, resulting trusts and proprietary estoppel
We work with our high net worth clients on property instructions, including sales and purchases, executing wealth management and planning strategies, financing and leasehold portfolio management matters.
Our team can assist with a number of financial planning arrangements and corporate transactions, including family investment companies (FICs), Employee-Ownership Trusts (on both employee and seller side transactions), and corporate governance (such as shareholder and partnership agreements, corporate restructures, and investment agreements) to ensure that your investment in a business, or a business' succession, is enacted as intended. This can include, where required, interacting with our Wills, Trust and Probate Team for effective financial planning.
Our team understands that such matters often come with complex financial requirements, which can often be combined with other challenges, such as family dynamics, the safeguarding of a business' across the generations, or seeking to minimise the legal risks that come with investing private funds in a business. Our focus is to provide peace of mind, so that you can move forward knowing that your investment, or your succession plans, are in place and secured.
.jpg)
Make an Enquiry
What our clients say
We have dealt with Leathes Prior Solicitors for many years and have always been very satisfied. Recently we have updated our Wills and as we are fast approaching 80 years of age, we were especially pleased with their expert knowledge and kind and friendly approach. Everything was explained in a very understanding way. We highly recommend Leathes Prior Solicitors.
Once again, superb advice and wise counsel from Leathes Prior - this time a shout out for Patrick Gibney who has efficiently dealt with drafting our Wills in a most professional manner.
We cannot recommend Leathes Prior Solicitors enough, in particular Polly Langford. Throughout all our dealings with them we have received nothing but an efficient, thorough and impeccable service. Our matter was brought to a swift conclusion in a highly skilled and professional manner. 10/10. If you need a solicitor look no further than Leathes Prior.
We used LP to undertake our first Wills and Jordan Walker couldn't have been more helpful and professional in providing advice and drafting our wills for us. Would thoroughly recommend.
We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the friendly and professional way Jordan Walker updated our wills. She was both understanding and informative in her explanation of legal matters and we greatly appreciated the fact that she came to us to conduct matters. Many thanks and best wishes to her and the team at Leathes Prior.
Countrywide Signs has benefited from its association with Mike Barlow and the Leathes Prior Franchise Team for the best part of 20 years. Mike is professional, approachable and helpful and his support is second to none. I cannot recommend Mike too highly.
It’s not a helpline, it’s a lifeline.
My confidence in the outcome was never in doubt as you guys are great, both in the preparation and the execution. I really enjoy working with you for your professionalism and your humour, both go a long way so thanks again.
We honestly could not have got through the year without your help.
I am writing to say that the service provided by Darren Bowen was excellent. His communications and explanations were very clear and I felt well guided by him throughout the dispute.
Thank you for all the help Dan!
We honestly could not have got through the year without your help
Thank you for all your continued hard work, and for being the total legend that you are!
Dan Chapman is the best solicitor I've ever worked with. We've used him for years.
Dan, thank you so much for your kind assistance, for your professional approach in this difficult matter.
Thank you for forwarding documentation confirming the positive outcome for my current case in your hands. You have conducted my affairs in a professional and most pleasant and friendly manner. Kind regards and once again, thank you.
I wanted to express our appreciation of the way you supported us over the Will dispute and achieved a satisfactory outcome. Next Tuesday is the second anniversary of my brother's death and for the first time, I can think about him without worrying about the Will problem.
Many thanks for this Alison and huge thanks to you personally for all your help and Leathes Prior, we are thrilled with the service/representation we received and would highly recommend Leathes Prior to others.
Matthew provided exemplary advice with regard to my potential driving ban. Whilst recognising that 12 points is 12 points he presented the extenuating circumstances appropriately and in a manner that was likely to be heard by the court. I could not recommend him more highly.
I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help and guidance. It was a difficult period for me, having never gone through a redundancy process before, and you helped to make everything as clear and smooth as possible, which I very much appreciate.
Gareth has provided exceptional professional support. His advice has always been clear, practical and well considered, and he has demonstrated an excellent understanding of both the legal complexities and the practical challenges we have faced. I have particularly appreciated his ability to provide sensible, commercially minded advice rather than simply explaining the legal position.
Thank you for everything; you were incredibly professional, yet down-to-earth, and made court considerably easier. I will recommend this firm; I'm very impressed.
Huge congrats to a man who has been a mentor, a guide, a total professional... and at times a therapist. Lawyer of the Year, hugely well deserved, Dan!
As Executor of my parents’ estate, I was very fortunate to be assigned Patrick Gibney, to carry out probate on the estate. He has consistently been professional in his manner, prompt in his replies, patient and ready to provide good advice and guidance. Personally, I would only choose Patrick for any works regarding probate or any other professional matters that fall under his scope.
We used Lily Beel for our recent property purchase, and can't recommend her highly enough. Throughout it all, Lily's guidance was professional and properly tailored to our situation rather than generic advice. She kept us clearly informed at every stage, explained the probate and legal complications as they arose, and gave us real confidence that things were being handled professionally.
%20copy.jpg)
