Harrogate law firm announces new Trusts Team

After eighteen months of recruitment, the Harrogate law firm Raworths has unveiled its team of Trusts, Wills and Estates lawyers headed by Rachel Tunnicliffe.

The firm has a long heritage in private client and probate work but this marks a development of its service offerings.

Among the new team of nine partners, lawyers and associates is David Garfitt, who comes to the firm from Langleys Solicitors in York where he was a partner and head of the private client team.

David is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners and advises on private client work particularly inheritance tax planning, succession planning, trusts and wills working for businesses, agricultural clients and landed estates.

He qualified as a Solicitor with Powell and Young (now Harrowells) of Pocklington in 1991 before joining Langleys in York in 2002 as head of their private client team. During his time at Langleys, David achieved the number one individual ranking in Chambers Legal Directory.

David, who is also the Under Sheriff of North Yorkshire, said: “I have been observing Raworths’ strategy in building up their private client practice for some time and Rachel Tunnicliffe’s appointment last year confirmed that their commitment to private client is second to none in the area.

Rachel arrived at Raworths in February 2014. Recent recruits include Sam Jenner and Judith Robertson (both formerly at Leeds firm Gordons), Lindsey Rhodes (who returned to Yorkshire after working in the South East), and Edward Taylor (who joined from Harrogate firm Berwins).

Alison Walker was previously a corporate tax specialist who trained with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London, and worked with Pinsent Masons in Leeds before taking a new direction into private client work with Raworths.

Rachel Tunncliffe commented: “I am delighted to have been able to recruit such talented lawyers to add to the well-established team at Raworths”.

The Trusts, Wills and Estates team has a broad client base. Many clients have complex affairs and require ongoing advice for matters such as charitable trusts, business and agricultural interests and foreign assets.

Every solicitor in the Trusts, Wills and Estates team is either a member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners) or is working towards STEP-qualification. The team has a wide range of experience in personal law including the preparation of wills, providing inheritance tax advice and succession planning, the creation of trusts and trust administration.

Other areas of expertise include the preparation of Lasting Powers of Attorney, the registration of Powers of Attorney, and also making applications to the Court of Protection when clients no longer have mental capacity to manage their own affairs. The team is also able to provide assistance to bereaved clients, in particular in dealing with probate applications and the administration of estates.

Rachel, who is the Head of Trusts, Wills and Estates, concluded: “Since joining Raworths eighteen months ago, I have been working towards building a balanced team that can complement each other’s range of experience and expertise and match the very best advice available both locally and across the region. Our clients now come from as far afield as London and the South East as well as across the North. We are increasingly finding that we represent excellent value for clients whose previous legal advice had come from big City firms.”

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