Why our lawyers are a STEP ahead
The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) is the worldwide professional association for practitioners (many of whom are lawyers and accountants) who specialise in family, inheritance and succession planning and it is the benchmark qualification many practitioners strive for.
A Wills, Trusts and Probate practitioner can increase their technical skills and knowledge by undertaking the STEP qualification, which on average takes a minimum of 2 years, and means you can use 'TEP' after your name.
The law never stands still and being STEP qualified means that members are able to show a full knowledge of the most up-to-date issues impacting upon trusts and estates, providing assurance that the lawyer is both a trusted advisor and a highly qualified trust and estate practitioner.
Choosing a professional to help you to deal with such important and often sensitive issues can be difficult. Many aspects of planning are non-regulated, meaning anyone can write a Will, for example, regardless of training or expertise. You would be wise to draw up your Will with a STEP qualified lawyer, as you can be confident that you will be in safe hands.
What does this mean for the client?
It means that clients can feel assured they will receive the best advice, from a regulated expert which is given and written in the clearest manner to understand.
Being STEP qualified gives a lawyer the highest level of credibility and therefore an unrivalled edge over other solicitors and services. Dealing with a solicitor who is STEP qualified also gives the client the assurance that they are dealing with someone who truly knows what they are doing so that problems do not occur further down the line.
STEP Members at Band Hatton Button
Here at Band Hatton Button we are proud to have 3 fully qualified STEP members:
- Michelle Gavin TEP
- Charlotte Macalister TEP
- Christina Polychronakis TEP
In addition, we have 2 part-qualified members, known as Associate members:
All 5 lawyers in the team are fully accredited members of the prestigious and influential organisation Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), after all passing a series of exams. SFE is an independent organisation that provides specialist legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers.
Our Wills, Trusts and Probate team are experts in the preparation of Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Estate Planning for Business Owners, Inheritance Tax Planning and advising on Court of Protection, applications amongst many other areas.