Inheritance & Estate Planning - things to consider

Passing on your wealth to the people you care about takes careful, considered planning. Decisions made today about how your estate is structured can shape the financial futures of your children, grandchildren, and the causes you care about for decades to come. Without a clear plan, more of your estate than necessary can be lost to tax, disputes can arise between family members, and your true wishes may never be carried out. We help you understand your options and put a plan in place, so your wishes are clear, your family is supported, and unnecessary tax is kept to a minimum.

How we help

These conversations can feel difficult, but they don't need to. Talking about what happens after you're gone often brings up questions about fairness, family dynamics, and mortality that many people would rather avoid. We take a gentle, clear approach, helping you think through what you want to happen, who you want to provide for, and how to structure things efficiently, without ever making the process feel clinical or rushed.

As independent, holistic financial planners, we look at inheritance planning as part of your whole financial picture, alongside your investments, pensions and protection. This matters because estate planning decisions rarely exist in isolation. The way you draw down your pension in retirement, the investments you hold, and the protection policies you have in place all interact with how much inheritance tax your estate may eventually face. By looking at everything together, we can often find opportunities that a narrower, tunnel visioned approach would miss, and make sure that decisions made in one area of your finances don't create unintended problems in another.

What this covers

• Inheritance tax planning and use of available allowances: We help you understand your nil-rate band, residence nil-rate band, and any transferable allowances, and how these apply to your specific circumstances.
• Gifting strategies during your lifetime: We explore how gifting, whether through regular gifts from surplus income or larger one-off gifts, can reduce the eventual tax burden on your estate while still leaving you financially secure.
• Trusts and how they might help your family: Trusts can offer control over how and when beneficiaries receive assets, protect wealth for younger family members, and provide flexibility that a simple will cannot.
• Working alongside solicitors on wills and estate structuring: We coordinate closely with your legal advisers so that your will, trusts, and broader financial plan all work together rather than in conflict.
• Passing on pensions and investments efficiently: We’ll make sure your investments and pensions are set up so your beneficiaries don’t encounter a surprise tax bill.
• Utilising the lesser known available allowances: From annual exemptions to business relief and beyond, there are often allowances available that go unused simply because people aren't aware of them.

Clarity for you and your family

We explain your options in plain English, so you feel confident in the decisions you make and your family understands what to expect. Too often, estate planning is left as a private matter that comes as a surprise, sometimes an unwelcome one, to the people it affects most. We encourage open conversations, where appropriate, so that your family understands the thinking behind your decisions, reducing the risk of confusion or conflict later on.

There's no pressure, just honest guidance at a pace that feels right for you. Some clients want to make decisions quickly and move on; others need time to think things through, discuss options with family members, or revisit conversations more than once before committing to a plan. We're happy to work at whichever pace suits you, and we'll never push you toward a decision before you're ready.

A plan that stands the test of time

Rules around inheritance tax and estates change, and so do families. Legislation shifts, allowances are adjusted, and thresholds are frozen or revised, sometimes with little warning. At the same time, your own circumstances evolve: children grow up and have families of their own, relationships change, businesses are bought and sold, and the value of your assets rises and falls. A plan that made perfect sense five years ago may no longer reflect your wishes or your financial reality today.

We review your plan regularly, so it continues to reflect your wishes and the people you want to look after. This isn't a one-off exercise we complete and then leave untouched. It's an ongoing relationship, where we keep track of the changes that matter, both in your life and in the wider regulatory landscape, and adjust your plan accordingly. That way, you can have confidence that your estate plan will still do what you intended, whenever it's eventually needed.

Ready to talk about your estate plan? Book your free initial consultation today.

Important: The content above is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. It should not be relied upon when making investment or estate planning decisions. Individual circumstances vary, and you should seek personalised advice from a qualified financial adviser before acting on any of the information provided. The value of investments can fall as well as rise, and you may get back less than you invested.

Read more about what we can help with here: https://skerrittfp.co.uk/how-to-reduce-inheritance-tax-legally/