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Aaron Spencer

Partner & Head of Private Client

Aaron Spencer

Partner & Head of Private Client

Locations	Canterbury, Chatham
Tel	01227 763939 01634 828277
Email	aas@furleypage.co.uk
LinkedIn	View profile >

Areas of Specialism
Career
Memberships
Testimonials
News Articles

General Private Client to include:

Preparation of wills;
Probate and estate administration;
Inheritance Tax planning;
Succession planning for farmers and business owners;
Creation of Discretionary Trusts, Life Interest Trusts, Asset Protection Trusts, Disabled Beneficiary Trusts and Death Benefit Trusts;
Preparation of Powers of Attorney (including Enduring, General, and Lasting);
Preparation of Advance Directives and Living Wills;
Declarations of Trust.

Charity Law to include:

Formation of charities;
Charity Commission applications and annual returns;
Advice on structures such as Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO’s), charitable companies, charitable trusts, unincorporated associations and Community Interest Trusts;
Advice about governance issues and best practice;
Charity secretarial service to include attendance at meetings, preparation of minutes and agendas, trustee briefing notes;
Specialist in almshouse charities.

Aaron joined the firm in 2001 and was promoted to partner in 2005, aged 28. He quickly established a broad private client following, working closely with well established private client partners at the firm.

Aaron gained early exposure to high net worth individuals and advised a broad range of clients on both private client and property matters. Having built up a large portfolio of clients, Aaron now focuses his time entirely on private client and charity law.

Aaron specialises in estate planning and administration, Will drafting and preparation of Lasting Powers of Attorney. Aaron also co-ordinates the Charity Law team, liaising with specialist teams across the firm to ensure the appropriate level of expertise is provided to each given matter. Aaron’ s work with charities includes advising philanthropic individuals about the creation of new charities, advice to trustees about governance of existing charities and administration of a number of grant giving and almshouse charities.

Aaron is an active Rotarian and Clerk to the Trustees of Canterbury Relief in Need, an ancient grant giving charity, and Canterbury United Municipal Charities, incorporating historic listed almshouses within Canterbury.

He is a Trustee of a large private estate, and enjoys a varied portfolio of work with strong links within the local community and in particular the charity and agricultural sectors.

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners STEP
Charity Law Association
Law Society Probate Section
Canterbury Sunrise Rotary Club
Trustee of Kent Messenger Charity Team
Student Member of ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists)

Aaron Spencer is extremely knowledgeable, approachable, efficient and...

Aaron Spencer is extremely knowledgeable, approachable, efficient and friendly. The Legal 500 2020 : Aaron Spencer

... I honestly can’t think how much better...

... I honestly can’t think how much better you can improve on such a great service. All I can say is keep doing the great work you already are doing and remember, it’s not about being better than someone else, it’s about being better than you were the day before! Client of Aaron Spencer - Mr LM

He is a good listener, knows his stuff...

He is a good listener, knows his stuff and he's very easy to introduce to clients. They like him from the word go; he's a likeable character. Aaron is personable and good in front of clients, which is very important. He can put clients at ease and explain the finer points around the advice being given. Chambers HNW 2018 - Aaron Spencer

Furley Page Solicitors fields a 'very competent and...

Furley Page Solicitors fields a 'very competent and efficient' charities team that is praised for its 'clear advice, attentive service and excellent value for money'. Aaron Spencer ('deals quickly and efficiently with all issues') leads the practice, which acts for a number of healthcare and ecclesiastical organisations on formation and governance, taxation, employment, and disputes matters. Clients include The Almshouse Charity of Wynn Ellis, for which Gary Wootton advises on the administration of the charity, including agreeing the annual budget with the trustees of the charity; and Maynard & Cotton's Almshouse, which Spencer advises on governance matters and works with the trustees on the management of the charity. Also recommended are employment specialist Amanda Okill and Anthony Chester, who handles charitable company formations and mergers. The Legal 500 2019 - Charities and not-for-profit

Furley Page Solicitors’ team provides ‘prompt and pragmatic...

Furley Page Solicitors’ team provides ‘prompt and pragmatic advice’, and is ‘consistently up to date with current developments within the sector’, advising charities on all aspects of their operations including start-up, governance, employment and tax matters and commercial disputes. Practice head Aaron Spencer ‘has great experience in the sector’ and is ‘backed up by an excellent team’, which also includes employment lawyer Amanda Okill, corporate practitioner Tony Chester and Nicholas Andrews, who specialises in almshouse charities. The Legal 500 2017 - Charities and not-for-profit

The ‘extremely knowledgeable and client-focused’ team at Furley...

The ‘extremely knowledgeable and client-focused’ team at Furley Page Solicitors regularly advises on matters relating to the Inheritance Act, Court of Protection applications and trust management. High-value estate administration is a key area of the practice, which is also adept at handling international private client matters involving offshore assets and non-domiciled tax issues. The ‘professional and empathetic’ Harvey Barrett leads the team, which includes solicitor Alexandra Gordon, who ‘is knowledgeable, engaging and is able to put across information in an easily digestible manner’. Also recommended are senior solicitor Nicola Hopper (who ‘has a calm and considered approach’), Aaron Spencer, vulnerable client head Nicola August and Sarah Bogard. The Legal 500 2017 - Personal tax, trust and probate

Aaron Spencer advises clients on a broad range...

Aaron Spencer advises clients on a broad range of private client matters, including the preparation of wills, the administration of estates and probate and succession planning. He also handles Inheritance Tax planning and often acts as a trustee. Spencer's clients include farmers, business owners and lottery winners. "He explains technical legal matters clearly and concisely," says a source, while another describes him as "knowledgeable, confident and friendly." "His strengths are giving a good, efficient service, following up immediately any issues I have had, and overall giving a friendly and flexible service so that it is always a pleasure to deal with him," reports a client. Chambers HNW 2017, Private Wealth Law - Aaron Spencer

Areas of Specialism

General Private Client to include:

Preparation of wills;
Probate and estate administration;
Inheritance Tax planning;
Succession planning for farmers and business owners;
Creation of Discretionary Trusts, Life Interest Trusts, Asset Protection Trusts, Disabled Beneficiary Trusts and Death Benefit Trusts;
Preparation of Powers of Attorney (including Enduring, General, and Lasting);
Preparation of Advance Directives and Living Wills;
Declarations of Trust.

Charity Law to include:

Formation of charities;
Charity Commission applications and annual returns;
Advice on structures such as Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO’s), charitable companies, charitable trusts, unincorporated associations and Community Interest Trusts;
Advice about governance issues and best practice;
Charity secretarial service to include attendance at meetings, preparation of minutes and agendas, trustee briefing notes;
Specialist in almshouse charities.

Career

He is a Trustee of a large private estate, and enjoys a varied portfolio of work with strong links within the local community and in particular the charity and agricultural sectors.