A family with a substantial UK estate, encompassing multiple domestic properties and a valuable holiday home in Portugal, approached us through an accountant.

An accountant in Brighton approached us on behalf of a company he advised. The firm has acquired another business for £285,000. The combined entity now had two directors: one older, one younger.

When estates become complex, the right trust can do much more than protect assets; it can reshape relationships, deliver opportunity, and provide real-life flexibility.

The government's recent announcements on Inheritance Tax (IHT) represent the most significant shift in estate planning rules in decades. While the headlines focus on tighter relief limits, the real story is deeper - these changes reshape how wealth will be taxed, transferred, and protected in the years ahead.

For many entrepreneurs, their business is more than an asset - it's the product of decades of work, risk, and commitment. Yet from April 2026, upcoming reforms to Business Property Relief (BPR) could see a significant portion of that hard-earned value exposed to inheritance tax (IHT).

Traditional estate planning tools - trusts, direct gifts, and simple wills - still have their place. These methods can be limiting for high-net-worth families and business owners who have significant investment portfolios, multiple properties, or retained profits.

We build our estate planning strategies to last, but a simple misstep in execution can weaken even the strongest structures.