Estate Planning in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle estates often share a pattern: a long-held family home in Gosforth, Jesmond or further out toward the coast, a public-sector or large-employer pension, perhaps a small business or rental property, and adult children who may have moved south for work. The estate looks settled. The rules underneath it have not stayed settled.
The North East estate that is more taxable than it looks
Property values in inner Newcastle and the Tyneside coastal belt have climbed steadily for fifteen years. Most local families now sit on estates that would clear the IHT threshold without difficulty — and most have done little or no planning around it.
A four-bed in Gosforth or Jesmond is now routinely £550k–£800k. A coastal property in Tynemouth or Whitley Bay can be considerably more. Combined with workplace pensions, savings, and frequently a buy-to-let, the typical professional Newcastle estate is well into IHT territory before anyone calls it that.
April 2027 brings unused pensions inside the estate. For Newcastle clients with significant SIPP or workplace DC pots, the planning logic of the past decade reverses. The order in which assets are drawn between now and then matters — sometimes by tens of thousands of pounds.
The work itself is unglamorous. Properly drafted wills, Property Trusts, lifetime gifts, life cover written in trust where it fits. Done quietly, in the right sequence, the difference to the next generation is large.
Pensions from large regional employers
Newcastle has a deep base of NHS, university, council, defence and large-corporate pensions. Some are defined-benefit (largely outside the 2027 change), some are defined-contribution (inside it). We separate them properly and plan accordingly.
Property Trusts and care fee exposure
Local authority care home rates in Tyneside have risen materially. A surviving spouse needing residential care can see the family home assessed in full — drawn down to the local capital threshold over a small number of years. A Property Trust ring-fences the deceased's share against this, typically preserving 50% of the property value for the next generation.
Family businesses and BPR
From April 2026, BPR is capped at £1m of qualifying assets at full relief. Many Newcastle family businesses — building, manufacturing, hospitality, professional services — have grown past that line. The succession plan that assumed full relief needs a rebuild.
Where we typically come in
Inheritance Tax Planning
Pension sequencing, lifetime gifting, trusts and life cover, all built around the 2026 BPR cap and 2027 pension change.
Read more →Property Trusts
Protect the family home from care fees and from being lost to a surviving spouse's later remarriage or change of will.
Read more →Wills
Drafted to use the Residence Nil-Rate Band, anticipate the 2027 changes, and reflect today's family — not the family you had when the last will was signed.
Read more →Lasting Power of Attorney
Both Property & Financial and Health & Welfare LPAs registered before they're needed.
Read more →What we'd actually do for you
We start with a free first conversation. We map what you own, model the IHT exposure under both current and post-2027 rules, and identify the structural moves that change the outcome. Most Newcastle estates need three or four interventions, in the right order. We do those well. We don't do everything, and we don't recommend things you don't need.
Complete the Discovery first - then we'll book your free 30-minute consultation.
Common questions from clients in Newcastle
Do you cover Northumberland and Durham?
Yes. We work with clients across the North East by video call, with documents signed remotely or couriered for wet signatures.
I work for the NHS — does the 2027 pension change affect me?
The defined-benefit portion paying a survivor's pension is largely outside it. Any AVC or money-purchase element is inside it. We'll separate them for you.
Do I need to come to your office to work with you?
No. We work nationally — and increasingly internationally. Most of our clients in Newcastle are seen by video call, with documents signed remotely or couriered when wet signatures are needed. The advice is the same. The convenience is yours.
Is Sean Kiani regulated?
Sean Kiani is a member of the Society of Will Writers and holds full Professional Indemnity Insurance. Estate planning is unregulated in the UK — which is precisely why credentials, supervision and indemnity matter.
What does a first conversation cost?
Nothing. A first call is free, confidential, and exists for one purpose: to find out whether your current arrangements still do what you think they do. If they do, we'll tell you. If they don't, you'll know exactly what's exposed and what to do about it.
Other UK areas we serve
Your 30 minutes. Simple. Yours.
No-obligation.
The path is simple: complete the Discovery first so we walk into the call already knowing the facts. Then in 30 focused minutes, I listen, answer your questions, and you choose if you'd like us to draw up your Inheritance Plan.
1. Start Your Discovery
Required first step. Complete the confidential financial position review so your no-obligation 30-minute consultation starts with the facts, not the basics.
2. Request a Callback
Prefer to speak first? Leave your details and we'll call you back to talk through the Discovery before you complete it.
You choose the date, time, and format - phone or online. Bring anyone you'd like.