William Crawford is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) with 17 years of experience structuring property ownership for succession and wealth preservation. He specialises in trust arrangements, family investment companies, and strategies to pass property portfolios across generations tax-efficiently. Currently, he advises property-wealthy families on structures that balance control, flexibility, and inheritance tax mitigation.
William Crawford is a highly respected Trust and Estate Practitioner and full member of STEP, the global professional association for advisers dealing with family inheritance and succession planning. He read Law at the University of Cambridge before qualifying as a solicitor and subsequently obtaining his STEP diploma with distinction, specialising in the complex intersection of property ownership and estate planning. William spent his early career at a prestigious City law firm advising ultra-high-net-worth families on succession structures before establishing a specialist consultancy focused specifically on property-wealthy clients. His expertise encompasses the full range of ownership structures available to property investors, including bare trusts, discretionary trusts, family investment companies, and partnership arrangements, each with distinct implications for control, taxation, and succession. He possesses deep knowledge of inheritance tax legislation, business property relief qualification criteria, and the intricate rules governing potentially exempt transfers and reservation of benefit provisions. William understands that property investors face unique succession challenges, including illiquidity, the need for ongoing management, and potential forced sales to meet IHT liabilities. His writing helps readers understand how ownership structure decisions made today profoundly impact their families for generations, demystifying complex legal concepts and helping investors avoid mistakes that trigger unnecessary tax bills or family disputes. He addresses current legislative developments and HMRC enforcement trends, ensuring his guidance reflects the latest regulatory environment.