Andrew Quaintance

AMQCBRY@btinternet.com

Services Private Client

Following his Honours degree in Law at the University of Sheffield, Andrew qualified as a solicitor in 1983 and during his 28 years of practice, he has worked for several firms, including 15 years when he ran his own sole practice in Birmingham. He has wide experience in a number of legal areas, but for the last 12 years has specialised in the non-contentious field.

He has been involved in industry and in private practice as a solicitor and also in training and consultancy. His particular speciality at the present time includes wills, lasting powers of attorney (and dealing with complex applications to the Public Guardianship Office), inheritance tax planning, trusts, and the administration of estates. He also has experience as a solicitor in offering independent financial advice culminating in his taking and passing the relevant financial planning certificates that are recognised industry-wide. This has been particularly useful in his specialist field given the wide diversity and complexity of the financial products on the market. He also has a particular interest in tax matters. This is a particularly useful skill at the present time when Government legislation is increasingly complex.

Andrew has now added another qualification to his specialism in that he is now a member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (TEP). In addition to this, he is currently studying for a further highly specialised qualification in contentious trust matters, which is mentioned below, and will give Andrew an even greater knowledge of and insight into family trusts and how he can advise Clients to avoid common and expensive errors.

Clients often find themselves confused by the sheer volume of legislation which affects their affairs, especially at difficult times following the loss of a loved one. Andrew recognises that these matters need to be handled sensitively but also in a professional and thorough manner, and he is happy to discuss the various steps involved with the Client in detail at the outset of each matter and address any concerns that the Client may have.

Although Private Client work is generally regarded as being non-contentious, the last few years have seen quite a growth in cases appearing before the courts where Wills have been challenged for various reasons. As the value of estates increases, in part due to the enormous rise in property prices over the last few years, disappointed parties have been increasingly willing to challenge Wills on various grounds and cause a great deal of disharmony and expense to the Estates which are being challenged. It is therefore vitally important that the Will is drawn up professionally and correctly in the first place. Of course, Andrew is often instructed to advise and subsequently deal with Estates where the Wills have not been prepared by him and he is instructed to challenge those Wills. As mentioned above, Andrew has attended training courses in Contentious Probate and he takes great care in keeping absolutely up-to-date in developments in this field as he considers this an important part now of Timothy Kench & Co's Private Client department's work. 

He is more than happy to visit Clients in their own homes where they are more comfortable. His day-to-day contact with clients is largely via email and this has proved to work very successfully for the eight years that Andrew has worked for the Firm.

Andrew and his wife have three children, the eldest of whom is married and is a software developer for the BBC, one of his daughters is now a qualified doctor and the other is in her second year at University studying Modern Languages.

His main interests apart from work are fine art, football and good wine. Andrew is also actively involved in his local church and was on the PCC, however his place has now been taken by his wife, Judy.