Cariad Medway-Smith

My Approach

I aim to provide clear, concise legal advice to my clients and guide them through difficult issues and times. Listening to clients and understanding their needs is a key element, as is explaining the law in a jargon free way. I pride myself on dealing with my bereaved clients in a sensitive and professional manner.

Areas of Expertise and Experience

I have 8 years of experience including the following areas of work:-

• Probate applications
• Estate administration of all types of estates
• Wills: for individuals, married or unmarried partners, clients with children from previous relationships, business owners, care fee planning Wills.
• Inheritance tax advice
• Charity law
• Estate planning including deeds of variation
• Lifetime trusts
• Declarations of trust over property
• Deeds to vary trusts
• Trusts for disabled beneficiaries
• Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs), including commercial LPAs
• Registering Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs)
• General Powers of Attorney

Recent Work Includes

• Full estate administration service for estates with business and foreign assets
• Grant of Probate only applications
• Dealing with intestacies (estates without a Will)
• Preparing Wills to provide for vulnerable or disabled beneficiaries
• Preparing Wills for business owners which include trusts to make best use of inheritance tax allowances and reliefs
• Preparing Wills for spouses structured to make best use of inheritance tax allowances where one spouse has been previously widowed.
• Preparing Wills for clients who live outside the UK and considering domicile
• Registering charities, advising on charity structures, merging/winding up charities
• Preparing LPAs for clients with complex circumstances/mental capacity issues
• Advising clients on lifetime gifting strategies to make best use of inheritance tax allowances and reliefs
• Advising on care home fees
• Advising clients who do not wish their children to benefit in their Wills.
• Advising on business property relief from inheritance tax
• Advising clients with assets outside the UK

Professional Associations and Qualifications

• Recommended Lawyer by The Legal 500 (UK 2019) being described as ‘extremely courteous’.
• Affiliate member of STEP (Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Bournemouth University (Distinction)
• Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP University London
• BA Joint Hons French & Spanish, Bristol University
• STEP Advanced Certificate in Will Preparation
• Member of the Charity Law Association