Incompetent and overpriced. We enlisted them after a promising interview with one of the partners who we then never saw again. Instead we have been dealing with one of his associates, Julie Jaggin, who cannot draft a simple letter, despite charging £350 an hour.
My fellow executor and I had a Zoom call with her on 21 Apr and explained what we needed in this one-page letter. It took her over 6 weeks to produce a first draft, on 6 Jun. I responded on 15 Jun, specifying 2 points that the letter needed to include. Julie produced a 2nd draft on 1 Jul, which included neither of these points. My co-executor then told me that it would be faster if I simply redrafted the letter myself, which I did on 25 Jul. Julie then produced a 3rd draft on 1 Aug which is so bad I don't think I can redraft it.
In the 2nd paragraph it has the same sentence written twice in a row:
"This is because HMRC requires not only information about all items (and their value) that belonged to [X] at the time of his death, but also those that he may have gifted away in the 7 years before the date of his death. This is because HMRC requires not only information about all items (and their value) that belonged to [X] at the time of his death, but also those that he may have gifted away in the 7 years before the date of his death."
Paragraphs 5 and 6 repeat themselves:
"Secondly, if you believe that other items in your possession were gifted to you by [X] please could you indicate when the gift was made and in what circumstances (e.g. what was said, how it was given to you or what other evidence of [X]'s intention to part with ownership of the particular item(s) you hold). You will be liable for Inheritance Tax on these items as well.
"If you believe any of the items not highlighted were gifted, please indicate when the gift was made and in what circumstances (e.g. what was said, how it was given to you or what other evidence of [X]'s intention to part with ownership of the particular item(s) you hold)."
And the first sentence of paragraph 7 makes no sense:
"You will see that the Inheritance Tax due on the items which is payable immediately by you as donees with primary liability for the tax owed on any items gifted to you within 7 years of [X]'s death."
Howard Kennedy are not only wasting my money, but also my time. Avoid.
