Many of my clients, advised by Clare Maurice of Maurice Turnor Gardner, feel threatened by death and taxes. Age is creeping up and governments show no sympathy for wealth generators. Some now prefer to shoulder the tax burden rather than relinquish control of their fortune.

Providing security for the surviving spouse is the starting point, but blended families complicate it. Trusts for spouses under the will are common, yet finding trustees and the message that the spouse isn’t trusted are challenges.

Giving away assets during life can cut UK inheritance tax: if you survive seven years, no tax on the transfer. Reliefs for business and agricultural property can be captured now, though capital gains tax may apply. Yet many clients balk at outright gifts because they would lose control over the family business or estate.

One client said, “If my children receive 60 per cent of the fortune I have accumulated, they will be doing very well. I started with nothing.”