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Legal services for farming families

Specialist legal advice for landowners and trustees

Clarke Willmott’s private client and farming solicitors have an established reputation in the agriculture sector and are specialists in helping farmers, landowners and their families plan and manage all aspects of their finances, including wills and probate, trusts and tax matters.

Our highly experienced team can advise on how best to organise your financial and business affairs to ensure financial security and quality of life in the future, as well as succession planning or winding down a farming family business to bring the greatest benefit to those involved.

With divorce one of the most common reasons for the breakup of land and property, we also appreciate the impact a failed marriage in the family could have. Our divorce and family law solicitors have the knowledge and expertise to identify the best ways to protect against or limit the effect of such an event, helping landowners to preserve estates and farms for future generations.

Listen to Clarke Willmott new Farming Heirs and Affairs Podcast episodes on Succession planning and Lifetime trusts to protect your farms and families.

Get in touch

Our expertise in wills, trusts and probate

We are specialists in advising farming clients and their families on how best to organise their affairs and finances to ensure financial security and enhanced quality of life in the future. Our expertise includes advising the owners of family farming businesses about how to seamlessly hand-over the business to the next generation, or how to wind-down a business so as to provide the greatest benefit and the least trauma to those involved.

Our agricultural private client solicitors regularly advise on:

Our agri-private client lawyers advise a spectrum of agricultural private clients, trustees, landed estates and charities on private capital matters and divorce and family law.

Our recent work includes:

  • Advising a private landowner on the tax efficient sale of his farm for development
  • Securing the availability of agricultural property relief and business property relief from inheritance tax on a large farm with a subsidiary property letting operation
  • Advising on and preparing the paperwork to implement the transfer of a substantial working farm to the next generation of the farming family
  • Advising the trustees of a significant landed estate about their substantial claim for heritage property relief
  • Completing Deeds of Variation to restructure Wills and upon intestacy of a large agricultural estate with minor beneficiaries

Contact our expert private capital team to discuss how they can help you.

Our expertise in divorce and family law

We appreciate that the preservation of landed estates and farms is an issue of utmost importance to landowners and their families. One of the most common causes for the break up of an estate or farm is a divorce in the family. There are ways of protecting against or limiting the effect of such an event and we can advise farming families on these options.

Our Agri-Private Client Divorce and Family law work includes:

Our agricultural private client experience in action

  • Advising a private landowner on the tax efficient sale of his farm for development
  • Securing the availability of agricultural property relief and business property relief from inheritance tax on a large farm with a subsidiary property letting operation
  • Advising on and preparing the paperwork to implement the transfer of a substantial working farm to the next generation of the farming family
  • Advising the trustees of a significant landed estate about their substantial claim for heritage property relief
  • Completing Deeds of Variation to restructure Wills and upon intestacy of a large agricultural estate with minor beneficiaries

For more information on how we can assist you, send an enquiry to our specialist divorce and family law team.

Contact an agricultural private client solicitor today

Our team of agricultural private client solicitors has a strong presence in the South West and advises clients across England and Wales. To discuss your requirements, please call us on 0800 652 8025 or get in touch online.

Clarke Willmott has offices in Taunton, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester and Southampton.

Farming Heirs and Affairs podcast

Episode 1: Succession Planning for Farming Families

In this episode of the Clarke Willmott Farming Heirs and Affairs Podcast, Tom Chiffers and Philip Whitcomb discuss the critical topic of succession planning for farming families, especially in light of recent changes in inheritance tax legislation.

They cover the importance of effective communication among family members and advisors, and the various tax implications that arise during the succession planning process.

The conversation also covers recent changes in inheritance tax rules, the relevance of capital gains tax, and the advantages of different business structures for farming families. Finally, they provide practical tips for initiating and managing the succession planning process effectively.

Episode 2: Lifetime Trusts for Farming Families

In this episode, Tom Chiffers and David Maddock discuss the intricacies of trusts, particularly focusing on lifetime trusts for farmers and landowners.

They discuss the fundamentals of trusts, their uses in asset protection, and the implications of recent changes in inheritance tax legislation.

The conversation also covers capital gains tax considerations and the role of discretionary trusts in estate planning.

The episode wraps up with a discussion on the flexibility and strategic advantages that trusts offer in achieving your financial goals.

Recommendations

‘Clarke Willmott are outstanding lawyers for the agricultural sector. They are highly trusted and respected within the industry. They deliver an unparalleled service with knowledge across all areas of the law that affect their clients.’

Legal 500 2025

The entire team is very competent and regardless of workload they always get back to you in a timely manner.

Chambers 2025

Your key contacts

Tom Chiffers

Partner

Taunton
Tom is a Partner in Clarke Willmott’s Taunton Private Capital team, specialising in inheritance tax and succession planning for private individuals, farmers and other business owners.
View profile for Tom Chiffers >

Philip Whitcomb

Partner

Taunton
Philip is a private client partner who acts for a large number of farmers, landowners and high-net worth individuals. He has particular expertise in advising on succession planning and the structuring of farm businesses.
View profile for Philip Whitcomb >

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