60-second interview: Alexandra Milton

What are your clients talking to you about at the moment and does anything concern you?

My clients are always conscious about inheritance tax implications. However, I also feel clients should consider the prospect of care fees. As we all know, inheritance tax is a tax at 40 per cent prima facie above the nil rate band of £325,000. Currently, care fees are a 100 per cent ‘tax’ on assets exceeding £23,250.

If clients do speak to me about care fee planning, all too often they want to give their property to family while continuing to live there. Not only will this most probably not work for care fees due to the ‘deprivation of assets’ legislation but they are depriving themselves of an asset that in the future could provide a good quality of care in addition to the lack of security of tenure this gift would bring.

What’s your view on quality schemes for will writing and their impact on consumer protection?

When we are surrounded by unregulated will writers, it was important for the Law Society to develop a scheme [WIQS] that promotes solicitors and the concept of a well-drawn will. The scheme encourages required practices to reduce the risks and errors arising from a badly drawn will. This is positive as it means the public know that solicitors participating in this scheme can offer them the reassurance that their wealth will pass as they wish and that they are receiving highly specialised legal advice and transparent services.

Barlow Robbins is in the process of applying for the WIQS accreditation.

What key trends are you following?

I have a lot of clients with young families who are conscious that they need to protect their wealth for future generations. Many of them are enquiring about incorporating life interest trusts or discretionary trusts to cover them if one parent was to die at a young age.

What skills do you look for in a private client practitioner?

I look for technical ability and a person suited to the type of services we provide. The firm is committed to providing specialist advice and private client lawyers are expected to think outside the box. They need to be able to deal with a range of issues and consider all interlinking tax implications that administrations or inheritance tax planning brings, for instance.

In this area of law, we need someone who is going to be sympathetic and approachable for our clients. Our clients need someone they can trust. Some of our clients have just lost close family members and need someone who can, in effect, hold their hand through a highly traumatic period in their lives.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned during your career?

Every day is a school day. I don’t think there is one point where everybody knows everything and I am happy to take on board a different perspective or view or expand my knowledge in a particular area.

Why did you want to join Barlow Robbins?

The firm has an insatiable appetite to achieve client satisfaction while really valuing staff. It has a clear strategy for future development, both in terms of the business as a whole as well as within the private client department, both of which I am keen to become an integral part of.

What are the immediate and long-term priorities of your new role?

The firm’s private client department has re-established a presence in Woking. My short-term strategy is to get the team up and running and working together effectively by establishing systems that will create a more streamlined structure. I want to provide an excellent service to existing and new clients that outstrips any competitors in the area.

On an ongoing basis, I would like to raise my profile and that of the private client team in Woking. I want the team to have the reputation of offering a bespoke and unique service to clients.

Alexandra Milton is an associate and leads the private client team at Barlow Robbins in Woking. She moved from W Davies Solicitors, where she was head of the private client department