Partner

Private Client

Expertise

Fiona is a Wills, Trusts and Tax Partner with over 24 years’ experience in private client matters. Fiona is well respected for providing specialist advice in relation to Wills, Tax, Trusts, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection, Deeds of Variation, Cross Border Estates, Foreign Property Tax, Domicile, Inheritance Tax Planning, Charity Law, Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief.

Fiona regularly speaks at Seminars on Wills and Inheritance Tax for private individuals, companies, medical professionals, sports personalities and entertainers.

Since 2007, Fiona has presented Mencap’s Planning for the Future Seminars throughout the North West.

Fiona Advises

  • Families and Individuals
  • Company Directors
  • Business Owners
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Parents and Carers of children with learning disabilities
  • Executors, Administrators and Trustees
  • Medical Professionals
  • Sports Personalities
  • Entertainers
  • International estates
  • Firms of solicitors
  • Accountants
  • Independent Financial Advisers

Experience Highlights

  • Acting for families in relation to Wills and Estate Planning.
  • Advising parents/carers with children with learning disabilities as to the best way to structure their Wills and Trusts.
  • Acting for clients with businesses in relation to their wills and protection of lump sum death benefits payable under pensions and life policies.
  • Advising corporate clients in relation to their exit strategy.
  • Acting for business owners in relation to obtaining and preserving business property relief.
  • Acting for farming families in relation to obtaining and preserving agricultural property relief.
  • Drafting deeds of variation to estates for those who died domiciled in United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Germany and other jurisdictions.
  • Dealing with more complex probate matters, including resealing grants, deeds of rectification, extracting grants de bonis non and ad colligenda grants.
  • Dealing with cross border estates including Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Nigeria, the United States and other jurisdictions.
  • Preparing Affidavits of Indian Law and German Law for court proceedings.
  • Advising on the creation and administration of trusts.
  • Advising on the creation and administration of charities.
  • Creating and registering one of the first charitable incorporated organisations with the Charity Commission.
  • Advising on and drafting trusts to protect lump sum death benefits received from pensions and life assurance policies.
  • Providing national Common Professional Development training for Solicitors, ILEX and paralegals on the subject of Estate Planning; Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief.
  • Providing a book review of Taxation of Charities by James Kessler published in Private Client Business (Sweet & Maxwell).
  • Appearing on BBC North West Tonight discussing the importance of Wills and Inheritance Tax Planning.
  • Appearing on Dune FM discussing how to protect your home and assets in relation to residential care fees.

Career History

Previous Law Firms

  • Keoghs, Head of Private Client
  • Ricksons, Partner
  • Pannone, Partner
  • JMW, Partner
  • Birchall Blackburn Law, Partner

Professional Memberships

  • Member of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
  • Member of Solicitors for the Elderly
  • Member of the Law Society Private Client Section 

Education

  • Admitted as a Lawyer and Commissioner for Oaths 1999
  • Admitted as a Solicitor in 2003

Expertise

Back to top

Fiona is a Wills, Trusts and Tax Partner with over 24 years’ experience in private client matters. Fiona is well respected for providing specialist advice in relation to Wills, Tax, Trusts, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection, Deeds of Variation, Cross Border Estates, Foreign Property Tax, Domicile, Inheritance Tax Planning, Charity Law, Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief.

Fiona regularly speaks at Seminars on Wills and Inheritance Tax for private individuals, companies, medical professionals, sports personalities and entertainers.

Since 2007, Fiona has presented Mencap’s Planning for the Future Seminars throughout the North West.

Fiona Advises

Back to top

  • Families and Individuals
  • Company Directors
  • Business Owners
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Parents and Carers of children with learning disabilities
  • Executors, Administrators and Trustees
  • Medical Professionals
  • Sports Personalities
  • Entertainers
  • International estates
  • Firms of solicitors
  • Accountants
  • Independent Financial Advisers

Experience Highlights

Back to top

  • Acting for families in relation to Wills and Estate Planning.
  • Advising parents/carers with children with learning disabilities as to the best way to structure their Wills and Trusts.
  • Acting for clients with businesses in relation to their wills and protection of lump sum death benefits payable under pensions and life policies.
  • Advising corporate clients in relation to their exit strategy.
  • Acting for business owners in relation to obtaining and preserving business property relief.
  • Acting for farming families in relation to obtaining and preserving agricultural property relief.
  • Drafting deeds of variation to estates for those who died domiciled in United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Germany and other jurisdictions.
  • Dealing with more complex probate matters, including resealing grants, deeds of rectification, extracting grants de bonis non and ad colligenda grants.
  • Dealing with cross border estates including Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Nigeria, the United States and other jurisdictions.
  • Preparing Affidavits of Indian Law and German Law for court proceedings.
  • Advising on the creation and administration of trusts.
  • Advising on the creation and administration of charities.
  • Creating and registering one of the first charitable incorporated organisations with the Charity Commission.
  • Advising on and drafting trusts to protect lump sum death benefits received from pensions and life assurance policies.
  • Providing national Common Professional Development training for Solicitors, ILEX and paralegals on the subject of Estate Planning; Business Property Relief and Agricultural Property Relief.
  • Providing a book review of Taxation of Charities by James Kessler published in Private Client Business (Sweet & Maxwell).
  • Appearing on BBC North West Tonight discussing the importance of Wills and Inheritance Tax Planning.
  • Appearing on Dune FM discussing how to protect your home and assets in relation to residential care fees.

Career History

Back to top

Previous Law Firms

  • Keoghs, Head of Private Client
  • Ricksons, Partner
  • Pannone, Partner
  • JMW, Partner
  • Birchall Blackburn Law, Partner

Professional Memberships

  • Member of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
  • Member of Solicitors for the Elderly
  • Member of the Law Society Private Client Section 

Education

  • Admitted as a Lawyer and Commissioner for Oaths 1999
  • Admitted as a Solicitor in 2003