Hi my name is Iain Aitken
I am a solicitor in the Wealth and Estate Planning team at Bolt Burdon. Before joining the firm I worked and trained for several years at a North London firm, undertaking similar work. Prior to that I studied Law at the University of Manchester and completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in York.
My work can be even more varied than the team description implies! I advise on, review and draft Wills and Trust documents, in both cases making sure that the document achieves exactly what the client wants and is as tax efficient as it can be. I also deal with the administration of trusts and estates. This work in particular is enormously varied as no two estates are the same. I deal with probate, intestate estates, inheritance tax, estates with foreign elements and resealing foreign grants in the English Courts.
Powers of Attorney are also within my area of expertise. I advise on Enduring Powers of Attorney, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Specific Powers of Attorney. Closely related to this area of law is the Court of Protection, which has jurisdiction over people who do not have the mental capacity to manage their own affairs. I can assist with applications to that Court, for example to have someone appointed to manage the affairs of a person who has lost capacity, or to approve a statutory Will.
I am a member of the Private Client Section of the Law Society and a student member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
I really enjoy the work I do – partly as it can be very technical and challenging and partly as I like being able to help clients by giving them the peace of mind that comes with having their affairs in order.
One of the most interesting cases I have worked on to date involved an estate where the deceased did not leave a Will, but left assets both in the UK and abroad. Under UK intestacy laws his half brothers and sisters would be entitled to his estate. As there was a great deal of uncertainty over how many half-siblings he had, his family tree had to be rebuilt by a firm of genealogists, revealing relatives spread across three countries.
Outside of work I try and stay fit and healthy through swimming and badminton. If I have any other spare time I enjoy going to gigs, cooking and watching films.