Estate planning involves putting together an effective strategy for what you want to happen to your wealth and/or assets both during your lifetime and when you die. Whilst it is often motivated by mitigating tax, it also crucial in maintaining and preserving wealth and assets for the benefit of you and your loved ones.Â
Schedule a callEstate planning services include:
This practice stands out for its exceptional expertise, innovative approach, and client-centered service. The team is known for being trustworthy, reliable, and highly knowledgeable, always prioritising clients’ best interests. Clients are kept well-informed every step of the way, empowering them with the insight and support needed to make confident, informed decisions.
Legal 500, 2026
The team clearly work very well together and put clients' needs as a priority.
Chambers and Partners, 2026
Weightmans have an excellent communication style which builds trust and confidence among delegates.
Chambers and Partners, 2026
Weightmans have a detail-oriented approach. They maintain meticulous records, ensure accuracy in legal documents and catch potential errors or inconsistencies before they arise.
Chambers and Partners, 2026
Weightmans gives detailed and careful advice in addition to being responsive and quick to address the issues. The team has excellent knowledge and technical skill to deal with complex matters.
Chambers and Partners, 2026
Fantastic knowledge, clear communication throughout the process.
Legal 500, 2026
Both myself and my clients find the team at Weightmans to be extremely capable.
Chambers and Partners 2025
The Weightmans team has impressive leadership. We felt confident in the recommendations and advice given.
Chambers and Partners 2025
Our Private Wealth and International Private Wealth teams provide a comprehensive private client service for individuals nationally and internationally. At the heart of the Weightmans culture is our purpose to ‘See the Possibility’ for our clients by encouraging each other to think creatively and seek innovative ways to deliver a top-quality service. We continually look for opportunities to help our clients achieve their objectives by being curious about their circumstances and collaborating with other departments to envisage and deliver holistic legal solutions.
Our specialist advisors are technically strong and include fully qualified ‘STEP’ members and accredited members of the ‘Association of Lifetime Lawyers’. The geographical spread of our offices including in Scotland and Wales, and the size and composition of the team nationally, also enables clients to be offered a full range of services including in-house trust administration and tax work capabilities.Â
About Richard:
Richard advises clients on all aspects of estate planning including wills, trusts, family investment companies and probate matters. He has a particular specialism in tax mitigation and assisting business owners and those with more complicated family arrangements and asset structures with succession planning and wealth protection.
About Jonathan:
Jonathan heads the International Private Wealth offering at Weightmans. Jonathan is a trust, tax and estates lawyer and deals with all aspects of personal estates, wills and tax planning for UK-based and international clients. Jonathan specialises in offering international private wealth advice.
Having a robust and tax efficient Will is often considered to be the cornerstone of any estate planning strategy, but Lasting Powers are an equally important consideration. Keeping good records and up to date valuations of the assets you own is also critical to effective estate and tax planning but is often overlooked. Obtaining regular and structured tax and estate planning advice is crucial to maximising any Inheritance Tax reliefs which may be available to you during your lifetime or to your estate on death.
The cost of obtaining estate planning advice and the implementation of any recommended structures will vary depending on the complexity of the proposed planning. Any professional advisor should be able to discuss and agree a scope of work that is relevant to you and your budget following and initial discussion about your circumstances and assets.
As early as possible, or at least as soon as you start to accumulate any savings or assets. Certain life events may also trigger the need to seek additional estate planning advice. Examples of these might include buying a property, starting a business, marriage or cohabitation, divorce or separation, having a child or becoming a guardian. Estate planning should not be an isolated exercise. Tax laws and personal circumstances change frequently and should be kept under regular review.
