Choosing a solicitor for future planning? Choose a STEP member

Photo by Alex Green from Pexels

When choosing a solicitor to advise on your future planning, it’s important that the solicitor you choose has extensive knowledge, qualifications and experience. STEP is a worldwide professional association comprising of lawyers, accountants, financial advisors and other practitioners that assist families planning their future. Full STEP members, known as “TEPs” are internationally recognised as experts.

What do STEP members do and what is a TEP?

STEP members are specialists in inheritance and succession planning and draft Wills, Trusts, administer estates, act as Trustees and advise families on a range of private client services.

“TEP” stands for “Trust and Estate Practitioner” and is the designation given to full STEP members. In order to become a TEP, practitioners must have a combination of specialist qualifications and experience.

Why is STEP important?

Inheritance tax, succession planning and Trusts is a vast area of law. In order to provide holistic advice, specialist knowledge is therefore required to understand how one action might impact on a client’s other circumstances.  Using a member of STEP ensures that the Solicitor will possess this knowledge.

We want to be able to give the best possible service to our clients and this is one of the main driving factors behind STEP. All STEP members are subject to an extensive Code of Professional Conduct  and STEP’s Will Code, requiring members at all times to act with integrity and in a manner that encourages the confidence, respect and Trust of clients and also the wider community.

STEP represents the most experienced and senior practitioners in the field of Trusts and estates. They are highly qualified individuals and are required to keep up to date with the latest legal, technical and regulatory developments, meaning that clients can be confident in the advice that they are given.

The organisation itself has professional standards which make clear that members must uphold the reputation of both STEP and the field of Trust and estate practice, again ensuring client confidence.

Franklins and STEP

At Franklins we understand the importance of STEP and are fortunate that all our Team are members or working towards membership of the highly prestigious STEP organisation. For more information on why to use a TEP, click here.

For more information on the preparation of Wills and Trusts, contact Helen Taylor, Partner & Head of Private Client and the Team on 01908 660966 / 01604 828282 or email PrivateClient@franklins-sols.co.uk.