The team are experts when it comes to protecting what matters most.
With nearly 60 years’ of combined experience across partner Lydia McCaslin, associate solicitors Victoria Richer and Janine Kennedy, and solicitor Alicia Speed, clients can be assured they’re in safe hands, whatever their query.
The private client team at Newcastle-based Mincoffs Solicitors are skilled in a wide variety of services, including wills, lasting powers of attorney, probate, trusts, and Court of Protection, to name just a few.
Since joining the firm six years ago as a solicitor, Lydia progressed to associate and then shortly to head of department, with the team going from strength to strength under her leadership and cementing her promotion to partner in 2023.
While a typical workday may include drafting relatively straightforward mirror wills for a newly married couple or advising a family on lasting powers of attorney, the team can just as easily see a complex case walk through the door.
This could involve anything from advising on succession planning for business assets, to following a complex paper trail overseas while trying to accurately determine the size of an estate.
“We have many clients who approach us specifically because they know we have the experience to take on the more complicated matters,” said Lydia.
“These could be individuals with a high net worth, involving assets held in a different country or even concerning a more complex family structure if they have dependants from more than one marriage.”
For those clients who have corporate or commercial aspects to their affairs, the team are able to draw on the expertise of colleagues across the firm who specialise in these areas of law.
The benefit of being part of a full service firm provides reassurance to clients that they are receiving high quality legal advice on every aspect of their matter, without having to turn elsewhere.
Their reputation for handling complex cases has gained the department recognition from leading legal directory Legal 500, which ranks the top law firms across the globe.
It also means the team are regarded as a safe pair of hands, evidenced most recently when a law firm which went into administration left a number of clients unable to access assets they had been advised to put into trusts.
Victoria, in particular, has had success in helping families unravel these trusts, resulting in more and more of these clients being referred into the firm for help.
While the department has built a strong standing across the North East, it is not unusual for the team to meet with clients from across the country and further afield.
In recent years, they have supported clients based as far away as France and Vietnam by utilising video chat to expand their reach and services.
Many clients may have had limited legal experience before needing advice on a will or the administration of an estate, and the team pride themselves on delivering their services with compassion and care.
Taking time to make sure everyone who they meet with understands each of the steps they are taking and why, and explaining everything in simple terms without confusing legal jargon.
This commitment is something the team continues to work on, with Lydia, Victoria and Janine all members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), a global professional body whose members are internationally recognised as experts in their field.
In addition, Lydia and Janine are fully accredited members of The Association of Lifetime Lawyers, making them two of the most qualified solicitors in the country supporting older people and those in vulnerable circumstances.
“Due to the nature of our work, many of our clients are getting in touch during what can be a really difficult time for their families,” said Lydia.
“It is therefore imperative for our team that we not only find them the best possible outcome for their specific set of circumstances, but that they also feel supported, confident and informed throughout the process.”
For friendly, sensitive advice, contact Lydia McCaslin, Head of Wills, Probate and Trusts on probate@mincoffs.co.uk or visit www.mincoffs.co.uk/services/wills-probate-trusts