Tania Clapham

Tania Clapham

Job Title

Partner & Head of Department

Direct Number

01903 706983

Email Address

Fax

01903 229172

Department/s

Management Board

Wills, Trusts and Probate Services

Tania Clapham

Overview

I am the Head of the Private Client Department and a solicitor specialising in Estate Administration, Will-drafting and Lasting Powers of Attorney.  I am pleased to advise my clients on all aspects of later life planning and in finalising affairs when a loved one passes away.

My particular areas of specialism include high value estates and the associated tax complexities and advising Executors concerning their duties and their personal responsibilities to prevent potential liabilities. I also advise beneficiaries about their options, in the light of an inheritance, including the benefits of Deeds of Variations.

I am a full member of STEP, Solicitors for the Elderly and the Law Society Probate Section.

I graduated from Staffordshire University with an Honours Degree in Business Studies and then went on to study law at the College of Law, Guildford. I grew up in Ferring and continue to live locally.

Qualifications

BA (hons) degree in Business 1993
Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives in 2000
Legal Practice Course in 2002

 

Recent Cases

I assisted the executor in dealing with the estate of his late father who owned a property which was in his sole name.  However, I established that the property had in fact been left in part in Trust by his late wife, who passed away many years before, but the gentleman had not dealt with the legal issues of establishing the Trust at the time.  I then contacted her children and subsequently dealt with the sale of the property and the distribution of funds between the Trust and the estate.  This case highlights the need to ensure that the assets of the first of a couple to pass away are dealt with at the time, and that any Trusts mentioned are properly constituted.

I also dealt with the estate of a lady who passed away leaving a Will that was many years old.  The Testatrix had left the estate to a charity that no longer existed.  I conducted a search of the Certainty National Wills Register to establish if a later Will had been made, which it had not.  I therefore traced and then assisted the named executor in the Will and was involved with tracing the correct charity and that the funds were used as the Testatrix would have liked.   This case highlights the importance of making sure that every person keeps their Wills up to date, specially if charities have amalgamated or changed, and named executors have moved on.

Areas of Expertise

Estate Administration
Will drafting
LPA drafting and execution

Memberships

Law Society
Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE)
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Member of Dementia Friends

 

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Client Testimonials