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Senior Partner – Wills, Trusts & Succession Department

David Lawrence


David joined the firm in July 1991 and, as Senior Partner, plays a significant and extensive role in the management of the firm. In addition, he currently heads the firm’s Lymington Office, and works in the team preparing Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, and administering estates.

Qualifications and Professional Memberships

  • Admitted as a Fellow of The Institute of Legal Executives, July 1985
  • Admitted as a Solicitor, December 1991
  • Became Partner of the firm, April 1994
  • Compliance Officer for Legal Practice, April 2013
  • Appointed Senior Partner, January 2017
  • Member of the Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme
  • Solicitor-Advocate, as holder of the Higher Courts (Criminal Advocacy) Qualification
  • Director of The Merriman Partnership Limited (trading as Merriman Solicitors), June 2023

 

Experience and Expertise

  • Over 42 years of working in law, initially as a Legal Executive, then as a Solicitor
  • Drafting Wills of all types, from simple low value estates to more complex higher value estates, with inheritance tax considerations and involving the creation of trusts
  • Preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney, including those for business owners
  • Registration of Enduring powers of Attorney
  • Preparing Declarations of Trusts as between property owners
  • Advising and assisting in relation to the post death administration of estates, from the registration of death to obtaining a grant of representation (with or without a will) and distribution as between beneficiaries
  • Advising on the taxation aspects of estate administration (Capital gains Tax, Inheritance Tax and Income Tax), including the preparation of Deeds of Variation
  • Departmental Supervisor
  • Advising as to anti-money laundering and bribery practices
  • Wide experience of different areas of High Street legal practice including, Dispute Resolution, Family law, Crime, residential conveyancing and commercial property work.