Charity experts at Thursfields offer new legacies service

Thursfields Solicitors’ Charity Law team has launched a new service to help charities understand how to maintain, maximise and grow their income from legacies.

Experts are providing charity clients with bespoke, practical and realistic advice on what can be a complex set of legal obligations linked to legacies.

One of the lead lawyers on Thursfields’ Charity Law team is Katherine Ellis, a Senior Associate Solicitor in the Birmingham office, who previously specialised in legacy law for a large national charity in London.

Katherine said: “Income from legacies are crucial to many charities and here at Thursfields we understand how important it is for charities to properly handle what can be a very technical area of the law.

Our charity clients need to maintain, maximise and grow this vital income stream and our Charity Law team can provide specialist assistance and dedicated support to help them achieve this.”

Katherine explained that Thursfields can assist with a broad range of issues including:

• Legacy administration to include the sale of assets and the appropriation of property and investments, applications to the Probate Registry in accordance with the non-contentious probate rules, abated legacies where there are insufficient funds in the estate to pay the legacy in full, and the taxation of trusts and estates;
• Legacy management services including advice on procedures, processes and system reviews to maximise legacy income, guidance on trustees’ roles and responsibilities, handling ex gratia requests and liaising with the Charity Commission.
• In-house staff training for charities’ legacy team employees or volunteers.
• In-house support for charities’ legacy team employees or volunteers by phone, email or in person through regular legal consultations.

Katherine has five years of first-hand experience of legacy administration and management after beginning her career in the sector with leading vet charity PDSA.

She then became legacy manager with the British Heart Foundation in London and continues to be an active member of the Institute of Legacy Management.

Katherine added: “We also have specialist expertise with regard to the full range of legacy disputes and contested estate matters, and a proven track record of resolving complex disputes in favour of charity clients whilst also ensuring they avoid any adverse publicity.”

Full details of the Charity Law team’s services at https://thursfields.co.uk/sectors/charity/

To discuss a legacy matter contact Katherine Ellis at kellis@thursfields.co.uk and 0121 647 5419.