Selena Hinds
Head of Probate, Wills and Trusts
01423 566666
selena.hinds@raworths.co.uk
Background
Born in Eastbourne
Previous roles: Nelson & Co and Pinsent Curtis Biddle (now Pinsent Masons)
Joined Raworths 2003
Member of Institute of Legal Executives.
Legal specialisation
Selena heads a team of seven assistants in the Probate, Wills and Trust Team. Selena specialises in all aspects of estate planning including preparation of wills, setting up of trusts, tax planning, Court of Protection matters and Power of Attorney requirements. Selena also supervises the administration of estates and the appointment of partners as professional trustees and attorneys.
Experience
Examples of matters Selena has advised upon include:
- Advising a businessman with substantive business assets to make sure his will safeguarded his family’s interest in the commercial assets
- Acting for numerous clients in difficult circumstances such as near death and diminished capacity (which is not age related)
- Administering an estate with conflicting family and charity interests
- Complex tax planning for individuals including the setting up of trusts
- Appealing against the registration of an Enduring Power of Attorney
- Administering an estate of an eccentric who spent her last years as a recluse with pigeons in her attic
- Administering an estate with company assets in foreign jurisdictions including Norway and South America
- Acting for a client under the terms of their Lasting Power of Attorney and dealing with their affairs
- Preparing a will with complex family arrangements including an unusual number of beneficiaries
- Administering an estate with legacies running into many millions of pounds.
In conversation
What do you regard as your best professional achievement ?
Being one of the first Legal Executives to be appointed a partner in a firm of solicitors in England.
What is the most frequent tip you provide to clients when they are deciding how to put together a will ?
To consider the ramification of their intended will. In particular, who they should provide for as well as those they would like to provide for.
Are there still benefits in setting up a trust ?
The tax benefits have reduced in recent years but there are still savings to be made in Inheritance Tax with careful planning. Further, it is important to remember that there is more to trusts than simply tax planning as trusts can be put in place to protect assets where there is a challenging family situation.
Do many of your clients make a Lasting Power of Attorney as well as a will ?
Most do. It is important to remember that a Lasting Power of Attorney can actually give more reassurance to the maker than a will on the basis that it is a document which can have effect during their lifetime.
When dealing with the loss of a relative or friend, what do you most frequently have to advise the executors to remember to do ?
Clients can forget to inform insurance companies of the death and there is a risk that the insurance policy may not provide cover if you have not followed the insurance conditions and the property is left vacant. Further, always look out for old share certificates or other papers which may amount to forgotten investments or assets.
How long does the average estate take to be administered ?
The average estate usually takes between 6 to 12 months depending on its complexity and the nature of the assets. Taxable estates and in particular those with agricultural or business assets may take longer because of the process of agreeing the inheritance tax position.
What interests do you have away from the office ?
Gardening (in particular growing vegetables), music, cooking and art and design.
