Protecting assets and ensuring that hard-earned wealth is passed on to the next generation is all in a day’s work for our team, and it’s especially rewarding to be recognised for what we do at a national level.

The comments made by clients and by our peers in the latest legal directory from Chamber and Partners show that people need good advice, not just in a crisis, but to enable them to plan ahead for their business and their family.

If you have worked hard to build up assets, you will want to manage them properly, whether those include property, a business or investments. Making those work for you now, as well as thinking of how you want to pass them on, is often complex and sometime a cause of family disputes.

READ MORE: Concrete results for all to see

Estate planning and tax planning, along with making a carefully-considered will and planning your business succession, can ensure that these assets benefit those who you choose, rather than simply making the taxman happy.

Sometimes this kind of planning needs expert input, especially when you have exhausted all the avenues you’re aware of – that’s where experience and expertise come into their own. This can be simple - you would be amazed how many people don’t think about inheritance tax and how they can help to minimise its effects – but innovative answers are often needed too.

Money and families are a notoriously volatile combination, and disputes can arise which need to be handled carefully – no one wants to end up in court, especially with other family members.

Combining tenacity with personal rapport is key when it comes to disputes, especially over wills –you need to ensure a good outcome financially but families also need to be able to deal with each other after the dispute too.