Landed estates

We have over 100 years' experience of providing strategic advice to landed estates and rural businesses, resulting in recognition as one of the leading law firms in this area.

With a team of solicitors drawn from different specialist areas within the firm, we are able to provide multidisciplinary advice for landowners, whether you hold private rural property, historic estates with houses open to the public, or newly acquired farms. We focus on the increasingly commercial requirements of our landed clients, and devise innovative solutions.

We can advise you on a comprehensive range of legal issues including:

  • Tax and succession planning
  • Business and ownership structures
  • Art, chattels and conditional exemption
  • Events and public access
  • Renewable energy 
  • Mineral and sporting rights
  • Planning, development and construction
  • Commercial property
  • Employees
  • Health and safety

Our lawyers

Our nationally renowned team of private wealth and agricultural lawyers is committed to providing outstanding client service, living up to our reputation as leaders in this area of law.

Our experience

 We have a long and successful track record advising clients in this area. A few recent examples include:

  • Advising on all aspects relating to the taxation and structuring of trusts, including offshore trusts.
  • Creation of an estate management partnership to run a family's residential portfolio held in trust and remove the need for trustees to employ staff.
  • Structuring the ownership of development land to minimise the potential tax liability, including advice on land pooling arrangements.
  • Restructuring of farm tenancies to secure 100% agricultural property relief.
  • Advising on the use of decisions in IRC v Farmer and Balfour to secure business property relief on cottages and other investment assets.
  • Advising family trustees on how to manage risk and minimise liability.
  • Securing of conditional exemption, and the negotiation of undertakings, on a Grade 1 listed mansion.
  • Experience with various issues relating to conditionally exempt chattels, including offers in lieu.
  • Partition of a family estate in a way which ensured its long-term retention but provided liquidity and independence for a brother who was not involved.
  • Helping clients to protect assets for future generations through the use of  trusts, partnerships, companies and pre/post nuptial agreements.

Our clients

We act for over 50 landed estates across the UK and have experience working with a range of clients in the rural sector.  Our clients include:

  • Charitable trusts and companies
  • Private trusts
  • High net worth individuals
  • Land consortia
  • Family partnerships
Mills & Reeve Sites navigation
A tabbed collection of Mills & Reeve sites.
Sites
My Mills & Reeve navigation
Subscribe to, or manage your My Mills & Reeve account.
My M&R

Visitors

Register for My M&R to stay up-to-date with legal news and events, create brochures and bookmark pages.

Existing clients

Log in to your client extranet for free matter information, know-how and documents.

Staff

Mills & Reeve system for employees.