Jonathan Dorman

Head of Private Client

As Head of the Private Client team, I specialise in matters involving high-net-worth individuals, including Wills, Probate and Trusts.  In addition, I undertake the role of Senior Responsible Officer for the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

Experience

I joined Harold Benjamin in November 1992 and became a Partner in December 1996.  Prior to Harold Benjamin, I was a Partner in the Westminster firm, Philip Conway Thomas.

My main areas of experience are as follows:

• Wills - including complex arrangements for multi-jurisdictional assets, second marriages, inheritance tax mitigation, asset protection, provision for beneficiaries suffering from disabilities, charitable beneficiaries
• Estate administration - including when there is a Will when there is no Will, high value estates, estates including foreign assets and interests in trusts
• Deed of Variation to Wills - allocate interests in estates post death
• Trust creation - both lifetime and in Wills
• Powers of Attorney - including advising Donors and Attorneys, Lasting Powers of Attorney creation and registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney
• Estate Planning - to reduce the incidence of inheritance tax
• Asset Protection - to safeguard assets and skip generations

Recent/Current Cases

• Administration of estate - with interest in other estate
• Dealing with an estate with a manuscript Will written by the deceased when the wording was ambiguous
• An estate where the charity had ceased to exist prior to the deceased's death and the deceased's intention was uncertain in regard to another beneficiary
• Estate where a life interest trust terminated on the death of the deceased
• Estate when a Settled Land Act Trust terminates on the death of the deceased
• Will prepared for use in several legal jurisdictions for non-domiciled person (liaising with overseas lawyers)

Education and Qualifications

• LLB, London School of Economics and Political Science
• LLM, London School of Economics (including papers on Estate Planning and personal taxation)
• Post-Qualified Experience: 36 years (1983)

Memberships and Recognition

• Member of the Law Society of England and Wales
• Member of STEP - Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (since 1994)
• Member of Solicitors for the Elderly (since 2002)
• Member of the Law Society Private Client Section (former executive committee member)
• Member of the Law Society Property Section
• Associate Member of the Institute of Legacy Management
• Member of the Jewish Historical Society of England

Life Outside the Law

Children and grandchildren take up a lot of any available spare time and when possible, reading, history and art.

Contact Details

Direct Dial: 020 8872 3008
Email:         jonathan.dorman@haroldbenjamin.com