Death is not a subject that many people like to discuss and consequently planning for their demise is not high on the priority list.

But the fact remains that death and taxes are not only inevitable, they come hand-in-hand and that can cause a lot of pain for the living if sufficient plans are not put in place.

The key to such considerations is making a will, which can go a long way to mitigate the effects of inheritance tax and ensure fair distribution of wealth to family and loved ones after you have died.

Gail Church (pictured) has set up Bicester Wills to offer specialist advice in a complex area to help people find the best solution for their particular circumstances.

Ms Church has a background as an independent financial adviser, and spent seven years with IBB Solicitors in Chesham, offering clients investment advice.

She said: “I always enjoyed working with trusts and those with long-term care issues. Now I have re-trained and can do that for myself.”

Ms Church joined the Society of Will Writers, took its training courses, and is now on its executive committee, becoming director for the Oxfordshire region.

Keeping up with the training and development is important, as legislation in the area is continually changing.

She added: “I am trying to gauge opinion about why people don’t have wills.

“It’s partly because they don’t want to think about death. But if you don’t plan your estate properly, an individual will pay inheritance tax on any assets over £325,000. When you consider the Oxfordshire property market, that involves a lot of people.”

And the other major issue is long-term care. If you are taken into a home, the local authority can take any assets above £23,000 to pay for care: “Children suddenly see their assets whittled away but if plans are made far enough ahead, they can be preserved, for example, by putting properties into trust,” said Ms Church.

Such issues are becoming more important as individuals live longer and, with rising property prices making their estates more valuable, she is keen to emphasis that estate planning should be an ongoing process.

For example, recent research by equity release adviser Key Retirement Solutions shows that in the south-east pensioners own £123.13bn of property without mortgages.

Since the beginning of the year, Ms Church has built up about 100 clients in the Bicester area, helped by her holding a free wills workshop, and by close links with mortgage and financial advisers who refer work to her.

Soon she hopes to expand to take on employees, and open an office with a high street presence to deal with every aspect of succession planning.

She said: “I want to help people with their business succession too — it is an area that is often forgotten about when people draw up their wills.”

o Contact: Bicester Wills, 01869 244329.

Web: www.bicesterwills.co.uk