Elizabeth Smithers

Liz is a Partner in the Private Client team specialising in Wills, Trusts and Estate planning.

She joined Clarke Willmott in 2001 with fifteen years’ experience of practicing in private client matters.

Liz’s expertise includes working with financial advisors and accountants in connection with Wills and trusts to preserve family wealth for future generations and to ensure that estate planning structures are both robust and sufficiently flexible to achieve long term family protection.

Liz also advises on a wide range of Inheritance Tax (IHT) issues.

Liz is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and lectures to both professionals and potential clients both in person and via webinars and podcasts.

How Liz can help you

Liz offers a personal and tailored service, working alongside financial advisors and accountants as necessary, to ensure an individual’s expectations and needs are met and exceeded.

Working out of the London and Bristol offices has given Liz a client base stretching across the South of England, providing exceptional value for money for those based in London and the Home Counties.

Liz regularly deals with:

• Advising clients on their options for a Will to best fit their needs and address their concerns.
• Drafting a range of technical and bespoke Wills and associated documents.
• Advising business owners on the best succession planning strategies to ensure that their enterprise passes to the next generation without unnecessary tax charges.
• Tax, estate and succession planning – ensuring a delicate balance is achieved between personal legacy and tax efficiency.
• Reviewing existing trust structures and advising on options available to trustees and beneficiaries to revise and amend to reflect changed circumstances.

Experience

• Advising clients with a large family estate on a Will and trust structure to provide asset protection and flexibility on the death of the first spouse to die followed by tax efficient and flexible trusts for the benefit of their young daughters on second death.
• Assisting clients with business assets and a significant IHT liability on the death of the surviving spouse. Drafting Wills and multiple trusts to mitigate any future IHT charges.
• Advising clients in relation to Will and trust structures to maximise potential claims to multiple IHT allowances.