Estate Planning
Many future worries you might have including issues with complex family situations or tax can be lessened with careful estate planning, which our team can guide you through. As no one knows what the future holds, we encourage clients of all ages to consider making arrangements for their and their family’s futures.
Estate planning is the whole process of structuring your estate (your assets) including finances, property & land, legal rights, and interests. By carefully planning your assets you can lessen any stresses around complex family situations and structure your assets in a tax-efficient way.
Our dedicated Wills, Trusts, and Probate lawyers can help with planning your estate, via services such as the preparation of Wills, setting up and administration of Trusts, making the best use of the Inheritance Tax reliefs and exemptions, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) and advice on lifetime giving.
We like to work in conjunction with accountants and financial planners to make sure your affairs are structured in the best possible way for your circumstances.
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What our clients say
Dealing with the death of a loved one and organising distribution of their estate is not an easy process. It can be time consuming and there are many avenues to explore and deal with. There may be pitfalls on the way and hurdles to negotiate but I can recommend Leathes Prior, particularly Pat and Billy and not forgetting Beth and Hannah who dealt with all aspects of my mother’s estate with the utmost care and consideration in a very professional and exemplary manner. Five stars and a ten out of ten rating are completely justified.
Billy Coughlin dealt with the administration of my late Mother’s Estate; not a large Estate but for me as sole executor it would have been most stressful. From the initial contact with Billy, I felt supported. Everything was completed timely and I was kept updated at every stage of the process. I very much appreciate Billy’s professionalism and kindness. Perfect service and I would highly recommend him.
Thank you for all you have done to help me throughout this year and last year. Your professionalism and swift action has made a very difficult time much easier to manage.
Leathes Prior helped me with my mother's estate, private etc and also to sell a house. I found them easy to deal with and would recommend them.
Pat completed probate for us, and was fantastic. It wasn't an easy one as there were some complicated elements that come to light along the way, but throughout he was communicative, and efficient in getting the process completed. He was also extremely thorough throughout the whole process. I cannot recommend highly enough.
I had Probate work carried out for me by Jordan Walker, and I would like to say how pleased I have been with the prompt and efficient service received. Jordan made the whole process very clear from the beginning and in doing so relieved a lot of the pressure at a difficult time. I would highly commend her work.
I just want to thank you again for all your help sorting out my brother's estate. Not a joyful time for me, however you have taken care of his wishes, and I truly appreciate that. Many thanks for all that you have done.
Thank you and all the staff at Leathes Prior, for all the excellent work they done for me sorting out Hazel's estate. It would have been impossible for me to do. Thank you and the staff extremely.
UK GDPR Update: What the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 Means for Organisations
While several updates under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 came into force on 5 February 2026, the next key development for organisations is still to come. From 19 June 2026, organisations will be legally required to implement a formal complaint handling process for data protection matters. This is a significant shift, placing greater emphasis on resolving issues internally before they escalate to the regulator.
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Selling a Probate Property: A Guide for Executors
Acting as an Executor can feel daunting, especially if there is a property which needs to be sold as part of the estate administration process. If you have been appointed as an Executor and you are unsure where to begin, here are some key things to consider.
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Leathes Prior's Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence Team Secure Settlement for Client
Kate Smith (Senior Associate) and Kimberley Nelson (Paralegal) were instructed in relation to a workplace personal injury claim, and successfully secured a five-figure settled for the client.
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New Restrictions to Charitable Giving: What You Need to Know
Changes to UK tax law regarding charitable giving took effect from 6 April 2026. Following legislative amendments in the Finance Act 2025-26, the generous tax exemptions associated with charitable gifts - specifically Inheritance Tax (IHT) exemptions - will be restricted to gifts to UK-registered charities. Ejike Ndaiji, Partner in our Wills, Trusts, & Probate and Charities Team explains...
Employment Rights Act 2026: The New Trade Union Right Of Access - Will it matter?
The Government has now published its response to the “Make Work Pay: Trade Union Right of Access” consultation which means we are now one step closer to properly understanding what these new access rights really will be.
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Spring Statement 2026 - An Overview
With the Government having restricted itself to one fiscal event a year in the form of the Autumn Budget, the Spring Statement is perhaps not the dramatic moment it used to be. It is more a chance for the Government to respond to events and economic forecasts than to set policy for the future.
Charity of the Month: Sue Lambert Trust
Leathes Prior is delighted to be supporting the Sue Lambert Trust as our Charity of the Month for February 2026. Sue Lambert Trust is a leading charity in Norfolk offering free therapeutic counselling and support services to survivors of sexual violence and abuse.
Supreme Court ruling set to impact NHS - Children injured by NHS can claim damages for lifetime lost earnings
In February 2026, the Supreme Court passed a ruling which is set to significantly increase the amount of damages the NHS may have to pay for claims brought in respect of children injured at birth, as a result of medical negligence.
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The Value of Planning Ahead: LPAs & Court of Protection
Putting LPAs in place allows you to choose trusted people to make decisions for you if you lose capacity in the future. This avoids the need for loved ones to make a costly and time-consuming deputyship application to the Court of Protection. With more people likely to experience conditions affecting capacity, more families may need to turn to the Court for support where no LPAs are in place.
