Helena Theo
Solicitor
Private Client
About
I am a Solicitor in our Private Client Department, based in Harpenden. I love how client focused my job is and Private Client is one of the only areas of law where you could be assisting a 21 year old client in making a Will, having just bought their first home, one day, to assisting a 95 year old client making Lasting Powers of Attorney, to appoint an Attorney to assist them in dealing with financial matters, the next day.
I qualified as a solicitor in September 2019, however, I knew early on in my training contract that I wanted to qualify into Private Client and this was where I gained the most exposure. Since joining Taylor Walton I have taken on a case load which has included drafting Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyship Applications, as well as dealing with Probates and the administration of Estates. I enjoy having a varied caseload as it means every day is different.
Planning for the future is very important, although a lot of people find the concept of making a Will or dealing with the Probate of a loved one extremely daunting. I aim to make the process as smooth as possible by listening to my clients’ goals and providing the best possible advice.
I am friendly and approachable and where clients have any questions, I answer comprehensively and in a timely manner.
Interests
Reading and finding new places to go for afternoon tea!
Experience
- During the course of the administration of an Estate, the deceased’s property might need to be sold and I recently advised some clients about how to mitigate a potentially very large Capital Gains Tax bill on the sale of the property. Communicating with clients is so important so that I am able to give the best possible advice and ensure all documentation is signed and in place when required.
- A couple of clients recently received inheritance from their Father’s Estate and said that as they didn’t need the money, they wanted to gift some of their inheritance to their children. I advised that, rather than making a gift themselves, it would be advisable to draw up a Deed of Variation, varying their Father’s Will so that it would be read as if their Father had gifted the money, as long as the Deed of Variation was signed within 2 years of their Father’s death, and I explained the potential inheritance tax benefits of doing so. They hadn’t heard of a Deed of Variation and were very happy to proceed.
- I recently dealt with obtaining Letters of Administration for a client whose family member had died and who was due to inherit the entirety of the Estate outright. Due to certain health problems, it was recognised that inheriting a large sum of money would not be beneficial to the client and I therefore prepared a Deed of Variation, varying the Intestacy, so that the client’s inheritance was held in a discretionary trust for their benefit, rather than being received outright, to ensure their long term security.
Joined Taylor Walton in 2021