ADVICE SERVICE
St Joseph’s is a small bespoke Legal Consultancy; we offer a tailored advice service to our clients. A
service designed to build a shared understanding of your wealth objectives and to translate these
ambitions into actions
Successful individuals recognize the importance of good advice. This has never been more evident than
in today’s complex financial world.
With more than 20 years of experience, St Joseph’s understands the dedication and experience required
to provide exceptional advice to our clients.
The St Joseph’s experience is not just one of
unsurpassed service, but is comprehensive in its
commitment to providing exceptional advice.
Providing for the future with trusts
In our experience many individuals do not consider
establishing a trust as part of their tax planning
even though it can be an extremely effective tool.
This tends to be for one of two reasons: some
individuals feel that settling a trust will be too
complex when in reality it can be a relatively
straightforward process. Alternatively, many have
heard that trusts are only appropriate for passing
on extreme wealth but in fact many individuals
establish trusts at sums at or below the Inheritance
Tax (IHT) threshold (currently £325,000).
There are many reasons why a trust may be
suitable including, for tax-planning purposes, to
protect assets, to provide privacy or to ensure the
smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries on
death and avoid lengthy probate proceedings.
Whatever the reason, our trust experts can advise
whether a trust is appropriate to meet these
objectives and then work closely with your
relationship manager to ensure that you achieve
your aims.
Some typical situations where a trust may be appropriate include:
Helping the next generation
Trusts are a useful tool in passing wealth on to the next generation. Parents could set aside sums up to
their combined nil rate bands to provide a nest egg for their children which could be used, for example,
to assist in the purchase of their first property. By transferring this sum into a trust, the parents will start
the ‘seven year clock’ for IHT purposes.
Likewise, grandparents may want to provide for their grandchildren’s education by establishing a trust
which could release funds to meet these future costs. Such trusts can provide directly for grandchildren
whilst starting the ‘seven year clock’. They also ensure that assets are passed to grandchildren without
becoming chargeable to IHT in their children’s estate first.
Charitable Intentions
Trusts are a useful tool in passing wealth on to the next generation. Parents could set aside sums up to
their combined nil rate bands to provide a nest egg for their children which could be used, for example,
to assist in the purchase of their first property. By transferring this sum into a trust, the parents will start
the ‘seven year clock’ for IHT purposes.
Likewise, grandparents may want to provide for their grandchildren’s education by establishing a trust
which could release funds to meet these future costs. Such trusts can provide directly for grandchildren
whilst starting the ‘seven year clock’. They also ensure that assets are passed to grandchildren without
becoming chargeable to IHT in their children’s estate first.
Protecting young and vulnerable beneficiaries
A trust can be used to ring-fence sums for individuals who may not be in a position to receive the assets
outright perhaps because of their age or personal situation.
Flexibility
Trusts can also be used in some insurance based arrangements to provide IHT benefits and flexibility for
individuals who wish to settle money on trust but retain some access to part of the funds.
Services we provide:
•
Property Advice
•
Probate
•
Wills & Will–Trusts
Advantage of using St Josephs
St Joseph’s has over 20 years’ experience of establishing and managing trusts that meet the needs of
wealthy individuals and families. Continuity in a trust’s management is important and so St Joseph’s is
often appointed as Trustee because of its longevity and experience. In addition, surrounded by a wealth
of knowledge within the organization, you can rely on our experts to provide an extensively researched
service that follows a very clear purpose.
Wills and Inheritance
The estate planning team offers bespoke advice on succession and inheritance tax issues. Preparing a
suitable and tax efficient will is often the first step in an overall estate planning review. Wills are
important not only to ensure that your assets will be passed on to your intended beneficiaries, but also
for using opportunities to mitigate inheritance tax and provide, where appropriate, protection for young
and vulnerable beneficiaries.
St Joseph’s have been dealing with estates, and the issues that arise in relation to them, for over 20
years. We are able to act as an executor of your will, bringing professional expertise to the
administration of your estate and, with a detailed understanding of your personal circumstances helping
to protect assets for future generations.
In addition to will planning, we will also advise you in connection with the structure of your estate
including discussing the issues arising from jointly held assets, as well as providing you with an overall
understanding of relevant inheritance tax planning options ranging from outright gifts to setting up
trusts.
In all cases, our estate planning team will provide a service tailored to satisfy your particular needs.
Retirement planning services
There are three main phases in planning for retirement. At St Joseph’s we will work with you through all
phases of your retirement. We can help you plan and review your arrangements whenever your
circumstances change, to ensure that you achieve the comfortable retirement that which you deserve.
1.
Pre-retirement: ensuring you have
sufficient funds for a comfortable
retirement in the most tax efficient
way. This also involves making
your assets grow effectively and
this could be by looking at where it
is invested, especially if you hold
older, smaller pension
arrangements.
2.
At retirement planning: reviewing
the options available to you and
help you to plan the most
appropriate and tax effective
solutions to meet your objectives.
3.
Post retirement planning: helping
you to plan whether to delay
taking pension benefits and
optimizing the phasing of the
benefits to meet your specific
income requirements.
St Joseph’s, help our clients address their wealth concerns in a friendly and professional manner.
We are focused on providing meaningful value to our clients and delivering results that reduce costs and
manage risks. More specifically we provide old fashioned hands on services which our clients appreciate.
We are happy to visit all of our clients in the comfort of their own homes.
St Joseph’s is uniquely positioned to provide differentiated services to our clients based on our strong
heritage, breadth of experience, scale, depth, the vast extent of our network, and our industry alliances.
We currently work with several experienced and regulated Financial Advisors, and Solicitors. We are
small enough to care and big enough to cope with most of our clients wealth needs.
For more information about our services please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team, we
look forward to helping you in the very near future.