Sally Runnacles

Sally joined Farnfields Private Client Department in 2015.  Sally is a member of STEP (a Professional Association for Practitioners who specialise in Family Inheritance and Succession Planning) and a member of SFE (Solicitors for the Elderly, a specialist group of Lawyers to support and make a difference to older and vulnerable people).

Sally has over 12 years of experience of Private Client Law and specialises in:

• Preparation of Wills
• Preparation and Registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney
• Registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney
• Deputyship Applications
• Administration of client’s financial affairs during their lifetime
• Applications for Grant of Probate
• Estate Administration
• Trust Administration

Some recent examples of Sally’s work include:

• Wills – reviewing client’s Wills which include Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trusts and replacing with Life Interest Trusts. The Life Interest Trusts have less administration involved and benefit from the new residence allowance (unlike the Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust), whilst still protecting assets from care home fees.
• Lasting Powers of Attorney – preparing and registering Lasting Powers of Attorney for Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare. Also, revoking Enduring Powers of Attorney for Property and Finances if client’s already have one in place to ensure no difficulties at a later date.
• Registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney – preparing applications to register Enduring Power of Attorney for clients that have lost capacity to manage their financial affairs, arranging notices to be served on notifiable relatives, advising Attorneys on their role and duties.
• Deputyship Applications – preparing applications for a Deputy to be appointed for clients that have lost capacity, but do not have an existing Power of Attorney in place.  Also arranging for an elderly Deputy to retire and new Deputies to be appointed in their stead.
• Estate and Trust – obtaining a Grant of Probate in the Estate, dealing with the administration of the Estate and setting up or winding up a Nil Rate Band Discretionary Trust.

The Private Client Department is headed up by Fiona Thomas who has overall responsibility for the work of the department.

Sally’s interests include keeping fit by walking her dogs in the local countryside and practising martial arts at which she is a black belt.  Sally and her husband run their own martial arts school which keeps them fit and also means that they are part of their local community.

When a person suffers from unexpected illness, accident or death, pets may potentially be overlooked. Sally has written an article on this which you can read here as there are things that you can do now to help prevent this from happening to your pet with some simple precautions. What will happen to Fido, Felix or Flopsy?

Awards & accreditations