Clear probate and inheritance tax guidance, whoever you are.
Probate and inheritance tax work differently depending on your situation. We know the specific position for each audience and where the pitfalls and planning opportunities actually are.
For individuals
People dealing with probate or planning their own estate. We explain the process, and our specialists take it on when the estate is complex.
Being an executor usually arrives at the worst possible moment.
Surviving spousesIn almost all cases, anything your spouse or civil partner left to you passes free of inheritance tax.
Blended familiesIf you have remarried, or you and your partner have children from previous relationships, your family is exactly the kind that standard DIY wills fail.
For business owners and specific situations
Business owners planning succession, pension holders affected by the 2027 changes, and expats with cross-border estates.
For years, many business owners could reasonably assume their trading business would pass on free of inheritance tax, because business relief at 100% took it out of the calculation.
Pension holders (2027 changes)For the last decade, defined contribution pensions have sat outside inheritance tax.
ExpatsCross-border estates are where confident generalisations go to die, so treat everything here as a starting point rather than an answer.
Probate and inheritance tax work differently depending on your situation.
The same probate process applies to every estate, but how it plays out depends on the family situation, the size and type of the estate, and whether inheritance tax is due. A surviving spouse has different reliefs available to a business owner. A blended family needs different will planning to a straightforward estate.
We explain the general position for each situation in plain English, and our specialists take it on when the estate is complex.
Some estates need more than a calculator
Some estates are simple. Many are not: blended families, business assets, property abroad, pensions after April 2027. If you would like a professional to look at your situation, tell us a little about it and one of our estate planning specialists will take a look. It costs you nothing to ask, and there is no obligation.