Wills, Trusts & Probate

‘In addition to being my solicitor, I regard Samantha Edward as a much

valued friend. Her admirable legal skills and knowledge are matched by her mature,

caring manner. At our first meeting I felt we were on the same wavelength

- she listens intently; immediately comprehends; promptly acts according

to her client’s needs and wishes.’

From making a Will or lasting power of attorney to settingup a trust or administering an estate, our dedicated teamare here to help you plan and make provision for you andyour loved ones throughout your lifetime.

We advise both private individuals andbusiness owners and cover basic to verycomplex needs. We have particular expertisein legal advice to business owners and farmingfamilies with agricultural or business estatesand also similar expertise advising people whowish to protect their vulnerable beneficiaries.Our team ensure you have the correctlegal advice to make sure your loved ones arecared for and your assets are protected shouldthe worst happen.

We also take the time to understand you andyour circumstances and always offer clearpractical advice, helping you to understandyour options whilst keeping everything assimple as we can.

Our private client team is nationallyrecognised in the Legal 500 - the UK’s leading guide to law firms. Several of our solicitors are highlighted as leading individuals in their fields and are accredited members of STEP (The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).

Blending our specialist knowledge, experienceand enthusiasm, our clients enjoy workingalongside us and we believe it’s the way wedeliver our service that sets us apart in themarketplace.

‘In addition to being my solicitor, I regard Samantha Edward as a much

valued friend. Her admirable legal skills and knowledge are matched by her mature,

caring manner. At our first meeting I felt we were on the same wavelength

- she listens intently; immediately comprehends; promptly acts according

to her client’s needs and wishes.’

We have excellent working relationships withmany other advisers and professionals in theregion and believe no-one in the marketplaceis more passionate than us about providingthe very highest levels of customer service.

We advise on:

• Wills

• Trusts

• Probate & Estate Administration

• Advice for the elderly

• Lasting Powers of Attorney/

Enduring Powers of Attorney

• Inheritance Tax Planning

• Wealth Management

• Statutory Wills

Supporting Clients. Protecting Assets. Changing Lives.

‘Your service was first class. Samantha put us at ease from the beginning and she was very friendly.’

Your Will

Anyone who wants to ensure their lovedones are properly provided for after theirdeath needs to make a Will – but it’snot just about leaving a list of who willget what. If you do not make a Will theintestacy rules will apply to your estateand under these rules an unmarriedpartner will receive nothing, and even aspouse or civil partner will not necessarilyreceive everything. Apart from theinequity, this can lead to expensive claimsagainst your estate. At EMG Solicitors wecreate a bespoke Will for your particularcircumstances, this is particularlyimportant if there are extended familiesor people who have remarried or forvulnerable family members. You can alsodeal with other important issues throughyour Will like the appointment of guardiansif you were to die leaving minor children.Ideally you should review your Will every 5years or whenever there is a change in yourpersonal circumstances for instance a birth,death, marriage or divorce.

Trusts

We are experts in both the creation andadministration of trusts. There are differenttypes of trust which can be used for avariety of reasons; to protect assets, providefor young or vulnerable family members orfor inheritance tax planning. Trusts can bemade in lifetime or on death through yourWill. They allow you to retain control overassets and can give flexibility as to whoultimately benefits from the trust assets.Our creative team will create a solutiontailored to meet all of your needs in themost tax efficient way.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

A Lasting Power of Attorney governs whowill manage your affairs in the event thatyou lose the capacity. There are two types ofLasting Power of Attorney (LPA);Propertyand Affairs and Health and Welfare. TheProperty and Affairs LPA authorises yourchosen Attorneys to manage your financialaffairs , whilst the Health and WelfareLPA allows you to choose who will makedecisions regarding your care, medicaltreatment and where you will live. Itcan even authorise someone to make lifesustaining medical treatment decisions.We can provide fixed fees for preparing andregistering an LPA and can also reduce ourusual fee if one is prepared at the same timeas your Wills.

‘Feel like a weight has lifted off my shoulders now I have got this sorted. Thank you again for your time. I certainly will recommend you and EMG for your professionalism and your kindness.’

Probate and estate administration

Our team are experts in probate and estateadministration when a loved one passes on.Head of our Wills, Trusts & Probate team,Director, Sam Edward is the co-author of“The Practitioners Guide to Probate andthe Administration of Estates” a guide toprobate law.

We act on behalf of personal representativesin the administration of estates includinghigh value and complex estates. This ofteninvolves the implementation of tax planningcommenced by the deceased duringlifetime. However if such tax planning hasnot been considered in life we can adviseas to whether any such planning can beincorporated after death through a Deed ofVariation.

Inheritance Tax Planning & Wealth Management

Inheritance Tax is due on the estate (theproperty, money and possessions lessany liabilities) of someone who has died,where the total estate is in excess of theInheritance Tax threshold. Inheritance Taxreceipts totalled £5.2 billion for HMRCin the tax year 2017-18. This has beenincreasing year on year and is expected tocontinue to rise.

For many people, once property, savingsand investments and any other assets aretaken into account it is easy to see how theInheritance Tax threshold can be crossed.However, there are things you can do tominimise the tax burden. They do not haveto be particularly complex, but nevertheless,even simple steps can save thousands ofpounds of tax in the future.

At EMG Solicitors we can help you reduce the Inheritance Tax liability for your beneficiaries through lifetime planning and/or by your Will.

Supporting Clients. Protecting Assets. Changing Lives.

Samantha EdwardDirector

Sam is a Director at EMG Solicitors andmanages the firm’s Wills, Trusts & Probateteam. She is co-author of ‘The Practitioner’sGuide to Probate and the Administrationof Estates’. She specialises in the drafting ofWills, Trusts and Powers of Attorney, but also in inheritance tax planning, mental capacity, estate and trust administration and asset protection.

Graduating from Oxford University with adegree in English Language and LiteratureSam completed her Legal Practice Courseat Northumbria University. She has been aqualified solicitor since 2007 and workedpreviously at a large Newcastle practice.

Sam works for a diverse range of clients fromprivate individuals, business owners, farmersand trustees. She advises on estate planningso families can plan for the next generationand pass assets down, including advice oninheritance tax planning and the availablereliefs and exemptions. When giving advice inrespect of the mitigation of inheritance tax ondeath she considers the effect of life policiesand pension death benefits together with theredirection of estate entitlement via a Deed ofVariation.

Sam works closely with the client’s otherprofessional advisers, such as accountants,financial advisers, stockbrokers and landagents to ensure the best solution is reachedfor her clients.

0191 731 4622samantha.edward@emgsolicitors.com

Supporting Clients. Protecting Assets. Changing Lives.

Katharine AyrisSolicitor

Katharine is a Solicitor joining EMGSolicitors in 2018. She is 15 years qualified inthis area of law and has worked at some toprated firms in the North East of England.

Her specialist areas are Wills, Trusts, LastingPowers of Attorney, Estate planning andInheritance Tax planning and also theadministration of estates. She has alwaysbeen passionate about law and studied at theUniversity of Hull gaining a first class degreein law. Katharine advises a wide range ofclients including business owners and farmers.

Katharine takes time to get to know herclients and helps guide them through thelegalities with sensitivity and compassion andin plain English. Katharine prides herselfon providing easy to understand advice onwhat can be complex issues or documents.Katharine has advised business owners aboutBusiness Property Relief and the possibilityof a “Double Dip” for Inheritance Tax relief.Whatever your needs from simple to complex,Katharine can help.

0191 731 4625katharine.ayris@emgsolicitors.com

Lucy Hoskyns-AbrahallSolicitor

Having studied and latterly trained andqualified in the North East, Lucy joined EMGin 2018 to assist the Wills, Trust and Probateteam, specialising in all aspects of EstatePlanning both during lifetime and after death.

Lucy comes from an agricultural backgroundand has a particular interest in thecountryside, advising a wide range of clientson the preservation of assets now and forfuture generations. Her role involves thepreparation of Wills, both simple andcomplex, taking a balanced view as to what isbest for the client’s overall circumstances andwishes, and how to give effect to those.

Lucy also offers Lasting Powers of Attorney,Statutory Wills and Trust documentation inorder to advise on Inheritance Tax planningbenefits and pitfalls, and overall assetprotection. The administration of estates isalso a key part of Lucy’s role at EMG.Lucy is an associate member of the Society ofTrusts and Estate Practitioners and a parentappointed governor at her local primaryschool and the chair of her parish council.

0191 731 6461lucy.hoskyns-abrahall@emgsolicitors.com

‘I first met Samantha Edward in 2013. It was at a desperately sad time of my life as my husband had just died. I am so grateful for her compassion. She was always very understanding when I was upset and she helped me with documents that I could never have coped with myself. Samantha was always very professional and completed everything very efficiently.’ Mrs M Taylor, Newcastle

Supporting Clients. Protecting Assets. Changing Lives. Durham Office EMG SolicitorsAbbey HouseAbbeywoods Business ParkDurham DH1 5TH

T. 0191 500 6989 F. 0191 500 6990 E. enquiry@emgsolicitors.comwww.emgsolicitors.com

Gosforth OfficeEMG SolicitorsCroft House, High StreetGosforth, Newcastle upon TyneNE3 1NQ