Solicitor recommendation - IHT and Trusts

[ThisInJapanese]

I'm not sure if this is the right place, or even allowed, but I'm struggling to find what I need at the moment.

When my Mum passed back in 2002, her IHT allowance was moved into trust against the family home. The document I have is entitled 'Deed creating a debt to replace a gift of cash into the nil-rate band'. At this point I run out of knowledge, and need somebody to explain the document to me and how it impacts things in the future.

I'm not expecting this to happen on this thread, I'm looking for a suggestion as to somebody who can help with this which was described as a 'can of worms' by a friend of a friend!

[Panamax]

How and from where did you obtain this Deed, or more likely your copy of it?

The reason I ask is there's no way those sorts of arrangements would/should have been entered without a letter of advice from the solicitor. It's that letter of advice which would be most useful to you as a starting point. See if you can find it.

The solicitors who wrote that deed are the best people to comment further on it. Initially at least.

[ThisInJapanese]

That's a very good suggestion, however, the document was written 20 years ago. My Dad has the original copy and has had it since then.

The issue with the solicitors is that in the intervening 20 years, they have been taken over and since shut down by some regulatory authority for malpractice! So I can't really go back to them.

[CambsBill]

Can't help other than to say choose carefully. My folks set up a family trust back in 2019. Both now having passed I visited the same practice (different lawyer though) who gave me a list of things they should have done (they didn't) and things they should have avoided doing (they didn't). Guess who now has to sort things out . . .

[Panamax]

CambsBill said:

Can't help other than to say choose carefully.

^^^ This. Go to a decent sized firm, not some local one-man-band above the newsagent. It's more important to get it "right" than to get it "cheap".

[Happy Jim]

My parents both had that clause in their Will (also setup 20ish year’s ago), there’s a lot of “it depends” based on what happened in the past- I threw my hands up,madmitted defeat and used this Solicitor that Inwould happily recommend:

Jane Lynch
Senior Associate ‑ Wills Trusts and Probate Team

Steele Raymond LLP Solicitors
Richmond Point, 43 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6LR.

T 01202 204554. (Direct)
[e-mail]

Good luck!

Jim

[ThisInJapanese]

Thank you

[ThisInJapanese]

Panamax said:

CambsBill said:

Can't help other than to say choose carefully.

^^^ This. Go to a decent sized firm, not some local one-man-band above the newsagent. It's more important to get it "right" than to get it "cheap".

Yep. It's tricky sometimes to get to the right person, but I'll see what I can do

[ThisInJapanese]

Happy Jim said:

My parents both had that clause in their Will (also setup 20ish year’s ago), there’s a lot of “it depends” based on what happened in the past- I threw my hands up,madmitted defeat and used this Solicitor that Inwould happily recommend:

Jane Lynch
Senior Associate ? Wills Trusts and Probate Team

Steele Raymond LLP Solicitors
Richmond Point, 43 Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6LR.

T 01202 204554. (Direct)
[e-mail]

Good luck!

Jim

Thank you, I've been in touch and so far she's proven to be very helpful with some good initial advice and guidance.