MP Estate Planning UK Ltd is an estate planning consultancy registered in England and Wales (Companies House number 14774020). The Company is based at Pill Road, Abbots Leigh, BS8 3RA, near Bristol, and provides general information and consultancy services to UK families considering wills, trusts and inheritance-tax planning.
This page summarises the Company’s structure, regulatory position and the way it works alongside regulated professionals in the UK estate planning market.
Where the Company operates
The Company is registered in England and Wales and serves clients in those two jurisdictions. The legal frameworks discussed by the Company — wills under the Wills Act 1837, lifetime gifts, trusts under English and Welsh trust law, and inheritance tax under the Inheritance Tax Act 1984 — apply in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate legal systems and clients with assets or family in those jurisdictions are generally advised to take separate advice.
Corporate and regulatory position
The Company’s position can be summarised as follows:
- The Company is registered in England and Wales as MP Estate Planning (UK) Ltd, Companies House number 14774020. Public records of the Company’s filings are available on the Companies House register.
- The Company is not a law firm. It is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or any other approved legal regulator under the Legal Services Act 2007.
- The Company is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. It does not provide regulated investment, pension or other regulated financial advice.
- The Company is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for the purposes of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, in respect of its handling of personal data.
Will-writing and general estate planning consultancy are not, in general, regulated activities in the UK. The Company is one of a number of firms operating in this space. The Company’s view is that consumers benefit when firms are transparent about their regulatory position, and the Company sets out its position openly on this page and in the disclaimer that appears at the foot of each article on this website.
The regulated professionals the Company works with
Where work to be carried out for a client requires regulated advice, the Company introduces clients to professionals who are appropriately authorised for that work.
SRA-regulated solicitors
For work that requires an SRA-regulated solicitor — including the drafting of certain legal documents and the giving of regulated legal advice — the Company works with Feakes & Co Ltd, a firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 654837). Solicitors regulated by the SRA carry professional indemnity insurance, are bound by the SRA Standards and Regulations, and are subject to the SRA’s complaints and disciplinary processes.
Chartered Tax Advisers
For matters that require specialist tax advice — including advice on more complex inheritance-tax planning, lifetime gifts of business or agricultural property, and certain trust taxation matters — the Company introduces clients to Chartered Tax Advisers (CTAs) who are members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
FCA-authorised financial advisers
For matters that require regulated financial advice — including advice on investments, pensions, and certain insurance products such as whole-of-life policies written in trust to fund an inheritance-tax liability — the Company introduces clients to advisers authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What this structure means for clients
The practical effect of this structure is that a client who comes to the Company for an initial discussion will typically receive (i) information and consultancy from MP Estate Planning UK Ltd, and (ii) where appropriate, an introduction to one or more of the regulated firms named above for the parts of the work that require regulated professionals.
The fees of the regulated firms involved are separate from any fee charged by the Company. Where a fee is charged by the Company, it is generally a flat fee disclosed in writing in advance.
Verification
The Company actively encourages prospective clients to verify, before instructing anyone — including the Company itself — that the parties involved hold the authorisations and registrations they say they do. Verification of the parties named on this page can be carried out free of charge as follows:
- Companies House: the Company’s filings are at number 14774020; Feakes & Co’s filings are also publicly searchable on the same register.
- Solicitors Regulation Authority: Feakes & Co Ltd’s regulated status can be verified on the SRA register using number 654837.
- Financial Conduct Authority: the regulatory status of any FCA-authorised adviser introduced by the Company can be checked on the FCA Register.
How to get in touch
The Company offers an initial consultation at no charge. Contact details:
- Phone: 0117 440 1555
- Email: answers@mpestateplanning.uk
- Office: Pill Road, Abbots Leigh, England, BS8 3RA