Bespoke Estate & Tax Planning

Sophisticated Planning. Robust Protection.

For families with complex assets, business interests, or significant wealth, a standard Will is rarely enough to secure the future. To truly protect your legacy, you need a proactive strategy that navigates the intricacies of tax law, trust administration, and asset preservation.

This service is distinct from our standard Will writing. It is a consultative, "Gold Standard" service designed for High Net Worth individuals, farmers, and business owners who require a long-term strategic partner.

Aaron does not view estate planning as a "tick-box" exercise. He works alongside your Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) and Accountant to ensure your legal documents align perfectly with your financial planning.

Who Is This For?

• Single individuals with estates exceeding £325,000 (or £500,000 if homeowners with direct descendants)
• Married couples / Civil Partners with combined estates exceeding £650,000 (or £1,000,000 if homeowners with direct descendants)
• Business Owners looking to maximise Business Property Relief (BPR) and plan for succession
• Farmers looking to maximise Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and protect the working farm
• Families with complex dynamics — blended families, vulnerable beneficiaries, overseas connections
• Anyone whose existing Will or estate planning hasn't been reviewed in 5+ years

How Our Pricing Works

We provide a fixed-fee proposal after an initial (free) fact-finding discussion. The fee depends on the scope and complexity of the planning required:

• Complex Wills & IHT Planning — from £1,500 + VAT
• Lifetime Trust Creation — from £1,500 + VAT
• Business Succession Planning — from £2,500 + VAT

These are starting points. Aaron will assess your situation and provide a clear, written quote before any work begins. The quote covers everything listed under "What's Included" below.

Our Expertise

• Trust Architecture — Creating Lifetime Trusts, Personal Injury Trusts, and Declarations of Trust to ring-fence wealth.
• Inheritance Tax (IHT) Mitigation — Advanced strategies including Lifetime Gifting, Chargeable Lifetime Transfers, and Deeds of Variation to improve tax efficiency.
• Trustee Support & Compliance — Guiding Trustees through their legal duties, managing the Trust Registration Service (TRS), and ensuring HMRC compliance.
• Business Succession — Ensuring your farm or company passes to the next generation intact, protecting the commercial viability of the business.

What's Included in Your Quote

• Comprehensive review of your financial assets and family circumstances
• Collaboration with your Accountant and/or Independent Financial Adviser
• Design of your bespoke estate strategy
• Drafting of all legal documentation (Wills, Trusts, commercial documents)
• One round of amendments
• Meeting to sign and witness documents

What's Not Included (Available If You Need Them)

The following are available as supplementary services. Aaron will discuss which, if any, apply to your situation and agree a separate fee before any work begins:

• Tax advice specifically requiring a chartered accountant — this can be jointly instructed with Aaron (quoted separately)
• Asset valuations — property, business, or agricultural valuations by third-party specialists (quoted separately)
• Trust Registration with HMRC (TRS) — registering new or existing trusts with the Trust Registration Service (quoted separately)
• Ongoing trust administration and annual returns — managing the trust after creation (quoted separately)
• Periodic estate plan reviews — recommended every 3-5 years as circumstances and tax law change (quoted separately)
• Court of Protection applications — if needed for a family member who has already lost capacity (quoted separately)

Your situation may not require any of these. Aaron will explain what applies during the free discovery call.

What Happens If You Don't Act?

Without proper planning, up to 40% of your estate could be lost to Inheritance Tax. Assets you've spent a lifetime building could be eroded by care fees, divorce settlements, or poor financial decisions by beneficiaries. For business owners and farmers, the consequences can be even more severe — without BPR or APR planning, the business or farm itself may need to be sold to pay the tax bill. Proactive planning protects your legacy for generations.

Why Choose Safe Harbour?

• Aaron personally handles your matter from start to finish — this is not delegated work
• Fixed fees confirmed before we begin — no hourly rates, no surprises
• Aaron collaborates with your IFA and accountant at no extra charge
• Home visits available across Bridlington and East Yorkshire
• SRA-regulated with full professional indemnity insurance
• Aaron explains complex tax and trust structures in plain English — no jargon

You May Also Need

• Complete LPA Protection — estate planning without Powers of Attorney leaves a critical gap. If you lose capacity, your carefully planned strategy cannot be managed without LPAs in place.
• Trust Wills — if your planning involves testamentary trusts that activate on death, these are drafted as part of the planning process