Richard Phillips

Richard joined Clough & Willis in August 2008 as the Head of the Private Client team. Richard's background and experience spans the Banking sector and top 50 law firms. He has extensive experience of personal wealth planning and corporate succession planning.

The Private Client team offer specialist advice in four key areas:

• Wills, Inheritance Tax and Estate Planning
• Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection matters
• Estate Administration (Probate and Intestacy); and
• Trusts

Richard regularly advises clients who seek flexible plans for passing family wealth to future generations, particularly company owners, or those with significant equity stakes in businesses. Alongside the Corporate and Commercial team at Clough & Willis, Richard can offer a thorough assessment of existing corporate structures and how they can be arranged to ensure that clients transfer their wealth in accordance with their wishes.

Richard is regularly asked by his clients to provide expert guidance to long-term care planning and funding. The law in this area is particularly complex and is the subject of much debate, particularly as many clients do not wish to see their capital wealth diminished unnecessarily. Richard offers clear, practical advice in this area, whether his clients need guidance regarding Appointeeships, local authority means-testing and deferral payment (or loan) schemes, local authority Service User agreements, or general wealth protection for future generations.

Richard has extensive experience of implementing Powers of Attorney for his clients as well as making Deputyship applications to the Court of Protection on behalf of family members of clients who have lost the capacity to deal with their own affairs. Richard can also advise Attorneys or Deputys with regard to their ongoing responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

For recently-bereaved family members and executors, Richard gives clear and honest advice in connection with the administration of the deceased's estate. Richard and the other members of the Private Client team tailor their service to the needs of the family and executors, whether that need is simply to apply and obtain the necessary legal paperwork (the Grant of Representation/Probate) or to provide a comprehensive, estate administration service. Richard and his team have developed an efficient and cost-effective method of estate administration, offering fixed-fee alternatives for all aspects of the work in this area.

Richard has significant experience in setting up and administering trusts in a variety of different circumstances. Often trusts arise in the Wills of deceased clients or are created as a useful vehicle for collecting pension death benefits, for example. More significantly, trusts are extremely useful for those who have recently been successful, or are about to be successful, with a personal injury claim particularly if there is a need to protect eligibility for state benefits.

Richard once had a number of sporting and social interests but now has two young daughters who occupy his every waking moment outside of the office.

richard.phillips@clough-willis.co.uk