Wills and estates

Managing wealth, asset preservation, planning for succession and inheritance, and writing wills can be a complex and difficult experience. It's important to ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes and that your family and/or successors are taken care of.

There may be alternative ways that you wish to dispose of your estate, for charitable and philanthropic reasons or to look after those who are unable to care for themselves.

Whatever you choose, it is important to seek the right advice to ensure your wishes are preserved. At Collas Crill we have experts in a number of jurisdictions to assist with wills, succession planning, inheritance matters and probate.

Services
Charities and philanthropy
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At Collas Crill, we have established a wide range of charitable structures from local Guernsey limited by guarantee companies to large charitable foundations for some of the world's wealthiest families. Our specialist Middle Eastern team also has experience in advising regional families on the principle of Zakat.

Estate planning, wills and inheritance
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Planning for the future is something that people often don't like to think about but it is one of the most important things that you should do during your lifetime. Whether you need simple wills put in place or more complex estate structuring, our experienced and approachable team can help you organise and plan your affairs for the immediate and longer term future. We work hard to guide you through any issues of concern to ensure that you reach a position where you feel reassured that you are clear as to what will happen to your assets, and those you leave behind, in the future.

Guardianships, delegates and POAs
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Depending on your jurisdiction, guardianship, delegates and powers of attorney are useful tools in helping a party to deal with the financial affairs of another, whether that is paying bills, managing bank accounts or otherwise. If you need assistance dealing with your own affairs then a power of attorney may be appropriate. This will enable you to choose who can carry out any actions, and the extent to which they can take those decisions, on your behalf. If an individual can no longer handle their own affairs then a guardian or delegate will need to be appointed by the court to look after that individual's affairs. Whether you are choosing to give someone power to deal with your affairs, or you have a relative who can't deal with their own any longer, careful consideration needs to be given, and advice sought, to decide what route is most appropriate.

Probate and estate administration
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When executors, family or friends of a deceased need to get access to assets held by their loved one, they may be asked to produce a document commonly referred to as a 'grant of probate'. A grant of probate means that an individual is given the right, by the relevant court, to deal with a deceased's estate. The deceased may have left a will or may have died intestate (without a will). It might be the case that probate has already been obtained in another jurisdiction and that a separate grant of probate needs to be obtained in Guernsey or Jersey. This can be an unfamiliar and stressful process. At Collas Crill we have many years' experience in making these types of applications. We are able to assist in simply obtaining the grant of probate, can arrange release and payment of the Channel Island assets to the relevant person, or deal with the full administration of an estate depending on your requirements.

Wills and estate disputes
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We provide fast, cost-effective and sensitive advice on all types of will-related disputes during what is often an extremely upsetting and distressing time for those concerned. We regularly act on multi-party actions for both plaintiffs and defendants.

26 Sep 2024

Lasting powers of attorney in Jersey

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) were made available to Jersey residents when the Capacity and Self Determination (Jersey) Law 2016 came into force in October 2018. LPAs work separately to your Will and allow you (as the 'Donor') to appoint one or more ...

25 Mar 2024

'NextGens' share how to not (oops) do it again…

More than 40 'NextGens' from local financial services businesses attended a Collas Crill breakfast seminar on 22 March to hear how to avoid the pitfalls of not planning for death – or mental incapacity – during your lifetime. Associate Jessica Burgess an...

2 Nov 2023

Top tier in Offshore Law Firms list

Collas Crill has once again been ranked as tier 1 by eprivateclient in its Top Offshore Law Firms listing. With lawyers based in Cayman, Guernsey and Jersey the firm's International Private Client and Trusts team features in the multi-jurisdictional firm...

1 Nov 2023

Update to the Probate (Jersey) Law 1998: Probate (Amendment) (Jersey) Law (the PJL)

On May 23 2023 the States debated and approved an amendment to the Probate (Jersey) Law 1998 (the Amendment) and this came into force on 27 October 2023. Overview The Amendment provides for new arrangements relating to the management of movable estate (o...

5 Oct 2023

James Badcock joins as Consultant

Collas Crill has appointed James Badcock as a Consultant in its International Private Client and Trusts (IPCT) team in the Channel Islands. James has been brought in to support Channel Islands clients on Guernsey and Jersey law matters. He has significa...

21 Jul 2023

Chambers HNW Guide 2023

Collas Crill's Private Client teams in the Channel Islands have once again featured in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide, the guide for go-to individuals and firms in the private wealth sector. The Jersey team has moved up to band 2, with the Guernsey t...

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