Birkett Long LLP‘s wills, trust and probate team is geared to offer expert advice on complex wills, estate planning for high-net-worth business owners, and the whole array of tax work, including capital gains tax. The team leverages the firm’s other departments, such as the agriculture and estates team, to offer a multi-faceted service to its clients. Known for her ‘excellent legal knowledge’, Emma Clarke heads up the South Essex team, and splits her time between Basildon and Chelmsford. Her areas of work include the administration of estates with cross-border complications, while Chelmsford-based Claire Read leads the private client department and is recommended for wills, trust creation and estate administration. Tax expert Ben Parmenter leads the firm’s Colchester office, and Amanda Smallcombe is highly praised for her Court of Protection and inheritance dispute work.

Birketts LLP‘s ‘extremely knowledgeable’ private client advisory department demonstrates particular strength in multi-jurisdictional tax and estate planning work, and is a market leader for succession and tax planning issues for farmers and land estate owners. The department is jointly steered by Jack Royall in Norwich and Louise Long in Ipswich, while Susan Young heads up the Chelmsford office. Young is recommended for estate planning issues, trusts and will preparation, as well as advising on the administration of estates, and is well versed in working with wealthy individuals and their businesses. Described by clients as ‘absolutely amazing’, Katie Gibson-Green is another name to note.

With offices in Chelmsford, Brentwood and Saffron Walden, Tees Law‘s private client practice ‘has an outstanding reputation for quality’, and is equipped to handle an array of private client matters, including succession and tax planning, estate administration, and will preparation. The team is led by Ian Johnston, who is a key contact for wealthy individuals seeking advice on their business succession; Johnston also has strong connections to the farming community. Luck Luck Ooi and the ‘extremely knowledgeable’ Sarah White, who joined from Thompson Smith and Puxon in April 2022, are also recommended.

Susanne Grimwade in Holland-on-Sea heads up Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP‘s ‘knowledgeable and experienced’ wills, life, planning and probate team, and focuses on equity release matters, estate administration and lasting powers of attorneys. Deputy head Andrea Godfrey in Clacton-on-Sea is especially recommended for her work with elderly and vulnerable clients, and is qualified in Level 3 British Sign Language. Colchester-based James Bird ‘stands out greatly’ with his knowledge of non-contentious probate work.

Praised as a ‘client-first business’, Giles Wilson Law Limited‘s private client department in Leigh-on-Sea is led by Court of Protection expert Melinda Giles, who leverages her experience in capacity issues to strengthen her probate, trusts and wills work. Pippa Bavington was promoted to partner in 2022 and her practice includes the preparation of wills, probate applications and administration issues, as well as handling trust matters.

Palmers‘ wills, trusts and probate team is praised by clients for its ‘specialist knowledge’, and covers the traditional non-contentious areas of work in this space while also leveraging expertise in contentious probate and inheritance act claims. The team is jointly steered by Tim Steele in South Woodham Ferrers, Lee McClellan and Donna Smy in Basildon, and Helen Jago in Rayleigh. Steele has established experience in estate administration issues and inheritance tax planning work, while McClellan has a a track record in handling complex and high-value disputes.

With offices in Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, Thompson Smith and Puxon’s wills and estate team has significant experience in advising agricultural clients on tax and estate planning work, and is also geared to advise business owners from a range of industries on matters such as succession planning and estate administration issues. Exemplifying this are group head Fiona Ashworth, who provides a ‘stand-out service’, and Robert Ashworth, who advises high-net-worth clients on succession planning work. Staff changes in 2022 include the arrival of two new solicitors including Nicola Healy, the retirement of Aileen Hirst in June 2022, and the departure of Sarah White.

Praised for its ‘wealth of experience’, Aquabridge‘s private client department in Chelmsford focuses on advising entrepreneurial clients in private matters that affect their business assets. Practice head Lorna Bastian was promoted to partner in 2022, and is well versed in estate planning, will drafting, trust and and estate administration matters. Samuel Flower joined the team in 2022, and has specialist expertise in contentious estate matters.

Based in Harlow, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors‘ trusts and tax team is well versed in working with elderly and vulnerable clients, and its areas of expertise also include will preparation, estate administration, and tax advice. ‘Specialist in his field’ Andrew Flannagan excels in administering complex estates, and handling UK estate and tax planning work, while the ‘excellent’ Lesley Ann Mayhew acts on a broad range of older client matters; she also handles Court of Protection work.

Working from all of the firm’s five Essex offices, Pinney Talfourd LLP‘s private client department has further grown in strength with several new in hires in 2022, including the addition of Andrew Grant in Upminster. The team covers the entire scope of private client work, including wills and estate planning issues, asset protection mandates, and trust creation and management matters, and is led by Matthew Edwards in Brentwood, who acts as a deputy, attorney, executor and trustee on numerous complex matters.

Jefferies Essex LLP‘s wills and probate team is headed up by Gill Tobin in Southend-on-Sea, and handles the full range of personal tax work with specific knowledge of estate administration issues. Tobin is a fellow of the Charted Institute of Legal Executives, and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioner (STEP). Another key contact in the department is Philip Conway.

Paul Robinson Solicitors LLP‘s private client team is headed up by Lee Hibell in Billericay, and is equipped to handle wills, estate administrations, trusts, lasting powers of attorney and Court of Protection matters. Hibell is a full member of the STEP and an associate member of Solicitors for the Elderly. Caroline Cole is another key contact.