Alison is Head of our Private Client department with over 20 years’ experience acting for a diverse range of clients including private individuals, business owners, farmers, charities and trustees.

She has particular expertise in claiming agricultural and business property relief and the preparation of farming partnership agreements. She also acts in the administration of agricultural estates.

Alison offers comprehensive and expert advice on all aspects of private client work including:

• Advising on and drafting Wills
• Advising clients on how to mitigate Inheritance Tax on death by considering the destination of life policies and pension death benefits;
• Preparing powers of attorney – including Lasting Powers of Attorney and General Powers of Attorney;
• Registering Lasting Powers of Attorney and Enduring Powers of Attorney with the Court of Protection;
• Advising on objections to the registration of Powers of Attorney;
• Court of Protection matters including deputyships – she acts as a Court appointed deputy for a number of individuals;
• Estate planning – including advising business owners / farmers / large families on how to plan for the next generation and pass assets through to the family;
• Inheritance Tax planning – including advising on Inheritance Tax reliefs and exemptions;
• Estate administration – acting in the administration of estates in situations where a Will may or may not have been left;
• She guides the family / beneficiaries through the process of applying for Probate / Letters of Administration and is able to advise on all aspects of sorting out the deceased’s affairs;
• Advising on and drafting Deeds of Variation for beneficiaries to redirect entitlement under an estate;
• Advising on and drafting trusts – including trusts to protect assets from attack, trusts used to utilise Inheritance Tax reliefs, trusts to earmark assets for the next generation and also shareholder trusts to accompany cross option agreements;
• Advising existing Trustees on their obligations and responsibilities and assisting in the administration of on-going trusts, including Settled Land Act trusts; and
• Advising on the availability of Agricultural and Business Property Relief, drafting farming partnership agreements and providing advice to farmers on succession planning.

Alison also works closely with members of our litigation team in situations where a challenge is being made to a Will or estate or other problems have arisen relating to estates and trusts.

Alison is experienced in the preparation of employee benefit trusts and shareholder trusts subject to cross option agreements for commercial clients. She also acts as a professional trustee for a number of clients at their request.

She has particular expertise in agricultural matters and landed estates, such as advising on succession to farms and drafting partnership agreements for farmers. She speaks both nationally and locally on agricultural property relief and is a member of the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) and the Agricultural Law Association (ALA).

Alison works closely with her clients’ other professional advisers, such as accountants, financial advisers, stockbrokers and land agents to ensure that the best solution is reached for the client. This solution is not always driven by tax and indeed Alison works hard to ensure that her clients plan not just to save tax but also to put the family in the best possible position going forward.

She is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) having previously been Chairman of the STEP North East & Cumbria branch.

Alison is the immediate past President of the Newcastle upon Tyne Law Society.

She has been closely involved with the Community Foundation serving Tyne and Wear and Northumberland for a number of years and is also a Young Enterprise volunteer having been voluntarily teaching now through the primary programme at St Josephs primary school in Benwell for over 15 years.

Alison is a Trustee of Wag & Company North East Friendship Dogs. A befriending charity which enables visiting dog teams to build meaningful friendships with older dog lovers across the North East of England.

Alison qualified as a solicitor in 1998.