Birketts LLP‘s stellar offering in Norwich for personal tax, trusts and probate work is built on long standing relationships with individuals, farmers, business owners, landowners, trustees and beneficiaries in and around the city. The team also continues to receive new mandates from further afield as a result of its strong reputation. A trio of lawyers co-ordinate the practice group: Hayley Pettitt, who is well versed in assisting with will structures, high-value estate administration, and succession planning; specialist in complex trust work Lorna Spear; and Jack Royall, who has a focus on the protection and preservation of farms and estates. Further names to note include April 2024 partner appointment Emily O’Donnell, and Helen Cordingley, who assists with a variety of private client matters.

‘Knowledgeable and practical’ partner Tom Lawrence heads the Norwich-based offering at Howes Percival LLP, whose ‘technical capabilities and depth of experience’ underpins a service that delivers tailored advice in complex situations to high-net-worth families, farmers, business owners and trusts. The practice offers fully integrated estate planning solutions for clients, collaborating with relevant teams in the firm. Lawrence is accomplished across intergenerational estate planning, establishment of trusts, settlements and wills, as well as associated capital taxes advice. Stuart Maggs specialises in succession advice for farmers and owner-managed businesses, and Lauren Abbs is also a core team member, along with the ‘reliably prompt’ Jan Tyler.

An eclectic client base, from traditional landed estates to an international spread of entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals, look to Mills & Reeve LLP for specialist contentious trust and probate counsel, and assistance with related tax matters. The firm’s Norwich office houses a standout landed estates practice that assists three of the four largest landed estates in Norfolk, and others across East Anglia and nationally. Lauren Parker leads the national landed estates practice and is well versed in complex tax planning, trust restructuring, succession planning, and diversification issues. Elizabeth Field has a focus on business owners’ tax and succession planning, and Katrina Hopkins assists landowners with tax efficient structuring of ownership and succession arrangements. Lucy Brand adds experience in contentious trusts and probate work.

Ashtons Legal‘s Norwich office houses two key lawyers of its lifetime planning team from across East Anglia: Gemma Helsdon, an experienced senior associate for wills, estate administration and probate, inheritance tax planning, powers of attorney, trusts, and lifetime and succession planning for high net-worth clients; and Karen Bacon, ‘very professional, caring, and easy to talk to, who has been a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) since 1996.

Fosters‘ ‘highly professional team’ in Norwich provides full bereavement and life planning support to clients, including preparation of wills, lasting powers of attorney, declarations of trust, Court of Protection matters, grants of probate, and the administration of estates and trusts. The key names at the office are Lisa Glynne, who divides her time between Norwich, Wymondham and Lowestoft; Paige Gouldthorpe, who heads the Court of Protection and vulnerable persons team opened in October 2024; Louise Gibbs-Kneller, who excels on intestate estates; and trust specialist Lauren Crosby.

Clapham & Collinge Solicitors has a private client offering across Norfolk and its team frequently deals with estate matters involving trusts, probate, and capital tax relief. Experienced figure Lin Whitehead specialises in Court of Protection matters, in particular deputyships, statutory wills and personal injury trusts. She co-leads the team with Ben Lowe, who has a broad private client practice. Jenny Alexander adds expertise in client interactions with health and social care bodies.