Offering an ‘exceptional and responsive personal service’, the team at Brachers is highly regarded for advising on will and estate planning, administration and trusts, particularly in the agricultural and charity sectors and often on a cross-jurisdictional basis. The firm’s private wealth offering acts for family businesses and high-net-worth individuals on business succession issues, FICs, and wealth planning. The practice, based in Maidstone, is led by the ‘highly professional’ Christopher Eriksson-Lee, who also leads the Brachers Trust Corporation and acts as professional appointee on a number of cases. The ‘exceptionally good’ Sarah Mannooch was recently promoted to partner.

The Guildford-based team at Charles Russell Speechlys LLP is ‘empathetic’ and ‘well-organised’ in its advice to clients. Leveraging the full-service nature of the firm, the team is equipped to handle issues that arise across the spectrum of family, immigration, corporate and property mandates. Practice head Sally Ashford leads the non-contentious private client team and has expertise advising high-net-worth individuals and family business owners on estate and family succession planning issues. The ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Richard Honey regularly advises on complex trust and tax matters, particularly with cross-border elements. Lauren Clarke is a full STEP member and ‘is delightful to work with’, and Harriet Betteridge is also recommended.

The team at Cripps is praised for going ‘above and beyond’ for clients. The Tunbridge Wells-based practice acts for a range of clients, including national and international business owners, directors, and agricultural and estate owners, and is recognised for its trust and estate administration, accounting and tax compliance experience. Kate Arnold leads the team and has significant expertise advising on succession and tax planning. Paul Fairbairn specialises in advising both domestic and international families on UK tax planning, while the ‘technically excellent’ Jessica Jamieson advises on wills, trusts, powers of attorney and international probate matters. Clare Savory is recommended ‘wholeheartedly’ for her estate planning advice.

Offering ‘personal service on top of technical knowledge‘, the team at Irwin Mitchell is widely recognised for its expertise advising high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals on taxation, particularly inheritance tax, complex estate administrations, as well as trust structuring issues. The lifetime and estate planning team is led by Caroline Shelton and Paula James based in Crawley and Chichester respectively. Shelton specialises in assisting UK residents or domiciled clients with wealth preservation and succession planning. Rose Macfarlane, based in Crawley, is regarded for her familiarity advising trustees and acting as trustee for a number of dynastic family trusts.

With ‘excellent attention to detail and understanding of client needs’, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP offers a bespoke private client service with a strong international capability. Lucy Edwards spearheads the Guildford practice, and is regarded for her expertise advising high-net-worth individuals, families, and trustees on estate and succession planning, family governance and philanthropy issues. Elizabeth Nicholas is described as ‘one of the best young private client partners in the market’ and routinely advises on a broad range of tax and estate planning matters, focusing on IHT and CGT. Hannah Gearey has particular expertise in offshore assets, philanthropy and assisting vulnerable beneficiaries.

Described as ‘a high-quality team’ which is ‘knowledgeable, helpful and responsive’, Stevens & Bolton LLP advise across the full gamut of work including wills, lasting powers of attorney, succession planning, trusts, probate and estate administration. Daryl Fox has expertise in high-value estates administration. Practice head Rosie Todd, who focuses on the crossover between corporate and private client work and UK tax implications of foreign asset structures, is described as a ‘top-class lawyer’, along with James Hardaker, who spearheads the firm’s in-house trust corporation.

The ‘extremely professional and efficient’ estates tax and succession team at Thomson Snell & Passmore is regarded for its roster of high-net-worth individual clients and is experienced in complex estate planning, including issues involving overseas assets, business and succession planning, trust management, tax advice and probate work. Nicola Brant helms the Tunbridge Wells practice, which includes Helen Stewart, who is ‘highly competent’ and a ‘delight to work with’, and Esther Lee who regularly deals with high-net-worth matters with specialist experience in APR and BPR claims, lasting powers of attorney, post-death variations, and probate mandates.

Following the firm’s merger with Griffin Smith in 2022, DMH Stallard LLP has a broad capability covering inheritance tax planning, wills, trusts, Power of Attorney, estate administration and contentious probate. The private client department across the South is headed up by Lorna Fairbairn, who is active in estate planning and trust work; she is also director of the firm’s trust corporation, and a STEP affiliated member. Nadia Cowdrey leads the Sussex-based team in Brighton, and specialises in wills, trusts and IHT. Michael Derrick is at the helm of the Surrey team based in Guildford and is well regarded for his expertise in the administration of high-value and intestate estates. Sara McGrigor is noted as ‘exemplary’ by clients.

Led by the ‘personable and thorough’ Brian Tan and the ‘pragmatic and emotionally intelligent’ David Chandra, based Bromley and Sidcup respectively, the ‘hugely approachable and empathetic’ private client practice at Judge & Priestley LLP specialises in philanthropy issues, international estates, succession of digital assets, and EU Succession Regulation. The department spans four offices across Kent and Blackheath and has a strong estate management practice as well as expertise in private wealth disputes and a dedicated Court of Protection team.

The team at Keystone Law  operates between Crawley and Brighton, often advising on the structure of wills and trusts. Robert Knight routinely assists farmers and families with inherited wealth with the full range of succession matters. Camilla Bishop stands out due to her vast experience in inheritance tax issues and trust administration. William Norton is a key contact for matters involving trusts and deeds of variation.

Moore Barlow is well regarded for its familiarity with high-net-worth succession planning as well as assisting an international client base on the spectrum of private client work. The dedicated rural team is noted for its expertise in handling estate planning issues for farm and land owners, including APR and BPR, IHT and CGT matters. The practice is led by Naomi Wilkes, who advises on wills, Powers of Attorney, estate administration and planning matters.

Described as an ‘amazing firm’, Russell-Cooke LLP regularly assists high-net-worth clients, business owners, and cross-border estates with a broad range of private client matters with a focus on business succession planning and international advice. The firm is also equipped with its own independent trust company, offering executor and trustee services. The practice is co-led by Julie Man and Kieran Bowe, both based in Kingston upon Thames.

Offering a ‘very good, personal service’, Thackray Williams LLP covers will drafting, trust management, inheritance and other tax planning work, elderly and vulnerable client care issues, and Court of Protection matters. The private client group has developed expertise advising clients in the entertainment sector and works closely with teams across the firm to deal with royalties-based issues in the literary and music industries. The team is led by Elliot Lewis and Anthony Macey, based in Bromley and London respectively.

TWM Solicitors LLP offers the full spectrum of private client advice on issues spanning Court of Protection applications, estate administration, tax planning and trust creation, administrations and winding up proceedings. The firm also increasingly assists clients with estates containing overseas assets, including administration, planning and attorneyship issues. Caroline Foulger leads the practice based in Guildford and is a chartered tax advisor, a full member of STEP, and an accredited member of Solicitors for Elderly. Laura Walkley, also based in Guildford, and Allison Crossman, based in Leatherhead, are further key members of the practice.

The ‘personable, professional and approachable’ team at Warners Solicitors regularly assists clients with lifetime and estate planning as well as dynastic and landed estate issues, with experience in family trusteeship. The practice is led by Mary Shaw in Tonbridge, and the team was recently bolstered by Arshoo Singh from Weightmans LLP, who is described by clients as a ‘standout lawyer’.

Birketts LLP offers the full range of private client services to non-resident and non-domiciled clients, as well as multi-jurisdictional tax and estate planning advice. The firm specialises in probate, intestacy, trust, tax planning, wills, and lasting powers of attorney matters, with further expertise in business succession planning issues. Sarah Hickey leads the team in Sevenoaks, and is well regarded for her ‘total dedication to the care of her clients’.

Described as ‘a pleasure to deal with’,  the team at Girlings is based across Herne Bay and Ashford, Canterbury. Under Charlotte Nock‘s leadership, the practice regularly handles will drafting, the administration of estates, inheritance tax issues and estate planning advice, as well as intestate estate matters and asset protection work. Former practice head Lesley Rushton is now the firm's managing partner.

Fielding a ‘very good, knowledgeable and friendly team’, Howell-Jones LLP has experience handling a range of financial portfolios and estates, as well as dealing with power of attorney matters and trust administrations. The firm has recently established a vulnerable adult and elderly client team, which works closely with the private client team, led by Helen Hotten, who is based in Raynes Park.

Based in Lewes, Mayo Wynne Baxter LLP's practice is led by Fiona Dodd and is well regarded for its strength in advising high-net-worth individuals and rural estates as well as assisting with specialist trust and succession planning matters. The firm is also instructed to deal with trust creation and termination issues, reorganisations, tax solutions, Court of Protection matters and contentious probate mandates.

Led by Holly Chantler in Redhill, Morr & Co LLP‘s private client department undertakes a variety of work for individuals and SME owners including business succession planning issues, tax advice, Court of Protection matters, proprietary estoppels and IPFDA claims. The firm also has a growing contentious probate team and fields specialists in wills, trusts, power of attorney and estate administration; key names include Natalie Payne, based in Oxted, and Sarah Sarwar, who is based in Wimbledon.

The ‘hugely professional and energetic’ private client team at Renaissance Legal is well regarded for its expertise in handling the finances and welfare of disabled and vulnerable people, including drafting wills, creating and administering trusts, and handling power of attorney issues and Court of Protection applications. The practice is led by Philip Warford and Katherine Miller who are both described as ‘excellent technical lawyers’. The practice is based in Brighton, and Deborah Henn recently joined the firm from DMH Stallard LLP.

The private client team at Rix & Kay Solicitors LLP is adept at handling specialist trust, tax, and succession planning issues, and advises business owners on complex asset and personal wealth arrangements. The firm also fields a later life team specialising in Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection work, and a probate team assisting with estate administration. The practice is led by Bruce Clarke, who is based in Kent and is described as ‘always on the ball’.