Succession Planning

Succession planning will help you to ensure that the wealth you have amassed during your lifetime is passed onto future generations in the way you would wish.

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CONTENTS

Succession Planning for Families
Succession Planning for your Business
Business Lasting Powers of Attorney
How we work with you

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Planning for the future in this way will help you decide whether to create family trusts, instruct professionals to help you invest or help you to provide for charitable causes. Where family businesses are concerned, planning can help you ensure there is a seamless handover to the younger generation.

Succession Planning for Families

When it comes to wealth, family structures can sometimes be complicated, for example we are living longer, sometimes with multiple careers or multiple or international aspects to marriages. Your family is unique and our team is there to support you and bring a sympathetic and unbiased perspective to what can sometimes appear to be extremely complex or sensitive issues.

Succession Planning for your Business

For many family run businesses, succession planning is key to ensuring consistency and continuity. Having a well-thought out succession plan will ensure a seamless transition to the younger generation, with plenty of time for the appointed successor or successors to become familiar with their new role. Having a well-thought out and transparent plan for the future will ensure confidence from existing employees, investors and other stakeholders.

Business Lasting Powers of Attorney

Succession planning in business is a strategy for passing on senior leadership roles (or ownership of the business) to a family member, an employee or management group within the business. The main aim in any succession planning is to ensure continuity of service to your customers or clients and to have a clear path forward for investors and other stakeholders. A Business Power of Attorney will allow you to identify which of your senior management team you would like to nominate to take the helm and make relevant business decisions if you find you are incapacitated for any reason. Our team will be able to help you through the planning stage and advise on implementation and communication of your decisions.

How we work with you

Whilst based in the South of England, with offices in Southampton, Winchester and Bournemouth, Paris Smith acts for businesses and families throughout the UK. Technology has enabled us to provide a high level of service to our clients whether they are local to our offices or not. Our advice can be given in many ways:

Over the telephone
Online appointments
In face to face meetings

We will talk through how you would like to be contacted and the best ways for us to meet in our early conversations with you.

Succession Planning Services

Tax – Inheritance, Income & Capital…

How we’ve helped our clients

“Sources say “The firm showed the upmost professionalism. The information and knowledge they convey, backed by proven strategies from a depth of experience, gives you the confidence that you will get the best possible outcome;” “The information provided is detailed, backed by proven strategies from a depth of experience. The advice given to me has resulted in a positive outcome when initially it did not look favourable;” “Fantastic team with top quality work across this practice area;” “Paris Smith show a great desire to ensure the best conclusion for their client by being open to bring in other advisers to provide a complete conclusion;” and “Recently I have been completed a joint report with them which allows the client to consider both trusts and companies in the same document. This is not something that I have done with any other law firms and really sets them apart.””

Legal 500 2026 Edition – Client Testimonials

“Sources say ‘Everyone in the practice is extremely knowledgeable, professional, efficient, and helpful’ and ‘The team, which is headed by William Hadley, is responsive and sensitive to the needs of the client. They are keen to establish creative solutions to complex issues.’”

Legal 500 2025 Edition – Client Testimonials

“Very precise and detailed advice, delivered in a way that a lay person could understand (or almost understand, given the very complex nature of company and taxation law!) Very friendly and professional team.”

Malcolm Jenkins – Private Client, taxation law

Chambers and Partners Legal Directory 2024

The Succession Planning team are ranked in both the Chambers UK Legal Directory and The Chambers High Net Worth 2022 editions.

The Chambers UK Legal Directory states: The lawyers at Paris Smith advise wealthy clients on a range of succession planning techniques including estate planning and trusts. The team also advises on tax planning.

Several sources praise the firm’s client service. One interviewee says: “They are very professional, the service feels very tailored and personal to clients.” Another source notes: “They are knowledgeable and responsive to client needs.”

The Chambers High Net Worth edition states: Paris Smith has a considerable team of private client lawyers able to assist with wills, estate planning and tax matters. The team can also advise on contentious estate matters.

Strengths

One source says “Paris Smith has a compassionate demeanour, and its support provided us with much-needed reassurance;” while another states “Paris Smith was very professional and efficient. Everything was very clearly explained by the very efficient and helpful team.”

Legal 500 Directory – 2026 Edition

The tax and estate planning department at Paris Smith LLP boasts a ‘depth of experience’ on trust administration, asset and investment succession, and contentious probate matters. An expert in technical succession planning issues, William Hadley heads the team and assists across will structuring, tax planning, and agricultural property relief matters. Jason Oliver leads the contentious probate and trusts team and brings a ’very strategic focus’ to mandates, including challenges to will validity, proprietary estoppel claims, and inheritance act claims. A standout advisor on succession planning and personal tax and trust issues, Anthony Nixon is a key contact among high-net-worth individuals and family businesses.

What clients say:

‘The firm showed the upmost professionalism. The information and knowledge they convey, backed by proven strategies from a depth of experience, gives you the confidence that you will get the best possible outcome.’

‘The information provided is detailed, backed by proven strategies from a depth of experience. The advice given to me has resulted in a positive outcome when initially it did not look favourable.’

‘Fantastic team with top quality work across this practice area.’

‘The team as a whole is very capably resourced, delivering strong results for clients.’

‘Jason Oliver has a very strategic focus and is always looking for a creative way through problems.’

‘Jason Oliver showed a personal interest in getting the best possible outcome. He was fast in responding to queries, always willing to listen and formulate a strategy, willing to explore all possible avenues, and gave an honest opinion.’

‘The most impressive quality has been client care : we have always been made to feel that we are special clients. Jason Oliver has shown exceptional support throughout and his team have been very helpful.’

‘Jason Oliver has been exceptional in his attention to detail, client care, and prompt and thorough response to all queries.’

‘Paris Smith show a great desire to ensure the best conclusion for their client by being open to bring in other advisers to provide a complete conclusion.’

‘Recently I have been completed a joint report with them which allows the client to consider both trusts and companies in the same document. This is not something that I have done with any other law firms and really sets them apart.’