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Wills, trusts and estate planning across Surrey

Surrey is a large county of boroughs and districts with a mix of towns, commuter centres and rural parishes. Whether an estate is straightforward or complicated depends on what it contains, not on where it sits.

Work here often runs across several documents at once: a will, lasting powers of attorney, a trust, and the governing documents of a business. A specialist looks at them together.

Surrey has some of the highest residential values covered by this site — Elmbridge's published average is £744,000 and Guildford's £524,000 — alongside a strong commuter and director-level population and a dense base of owner-managed companies.

The scenarios below are hypothetical illustrations. Whether inheritance tax applies depends on the individual estate rather than on area values (see GOV.UK, Inheritance Tax).

Estates concentrated in property

Where the family home is the estate, the practical question is how costs would be met before anything could be sold. A specialist sets out the options; we do not assume a tax position.

A county of very small companies

Published business counts record 61,865 registered enterprises in Surrey in 2025, 90.7% of them micro. Company articles and shareholders' agreements decide what happens to a share on a death.

Income that is not a salary

Dividends, share awards and trust income each pass under their own rules and nominations rather than under a will, so they belong on the list before an appointment.

Local economic picture

Money, work and property in Surrey

Surrey's published figures show higher resident earnings than West Sussex and a much larger concentration of professional, scientific and technical and of information and communication employment. It is also a county of very small businesses: 90.7% of its registered enterprises are micro.

Higher earnings and higher property prices do not mean any particular household has a tax problem, and this page does not suggest they do. If your own estate includes company shares, share options, more than one property, or arrangements spanning more than one relationship, those are the details to set out before an appointment — clear documents and a willing executor matter in each case.

A professional and technical employment base

£914.10 median resident pay, with 66,000 professional, scientific and technical jobs.

Median gross weekly pay for full-time employees living in Surrey was £914.10 in 2025, above the South East figure of £815.20 and Great Britain at £766.60. On 2024 BRES figures, professional, scientific and technical activities account for 66,000 employee jobs, 11.6% of the county total against 7.3% in West Sussex, and information and communication for 36,000 jobs, 6.3% against 3.6%.

There were 61,865 registered enterprises in the county in 2025, of which 90.7% were micro businesses — that is a count across all sectors. The sector shares of employee jobs are a separate measure, and neither figure shows the size or ownership of firms within any one sector.

If you hold shares in a small company, the questions worth asking are what the shareholding would be worth and who might buy it, what the scheme rules say about options or deferred awards on death, and whether the people you would name as executors could deal with a business as well as a house.

Surrey and West Sussex compared, on identical measures2025 ASHE median gross weekly pay for full-time employees by residence, 2024 BRES employee job counts and shares, and 2025 registered enterprise counts. Each row is a measure; both columns are county-level figures on the same measures and periods. The published profile behind each column is linked below.
MeasureSurreyWest Sussex
Median gross weekly pay (this page)Nomis — Surrey and West Sussex profiles£914.10£770.10
Professional, scientific and technical jobs66,000 (11.6%)28,000 (7.3%)
Information and communication jobs36,000 (6.3%)14,000 (3.6%)
Registered enterprises (micro share)61,865 (90.7%)36,850 (89.5%)

2025 earnings and enterprises; 2024 employee jobs · ONS ASHE 2025, BRES 2024 and business counts via Nomis

Shares and options

Company articles, shareholders' agreements and share scheme rules can affect how a holding transfers or is sold, and should be reviewed alongside the will. Gather them before an appointment.

Executors who can cope

Administering an estate containing a business is a serious job. Asking the person first, and naming a professional alongside them where appropriate, avoids a great deal of difficulty.

Sources and basis

Earnings figures are 2025 ASHE median gross weekly pay for full-time employees measured by where they live. They are not household income, they exclude self-employed income, and they say nothing about anyone's wealth. The South East comparator is £815.20 and Great Britain is £766.60. Industry figures are 2024 BRES employee jobs located in the area, excluding farm-based agriculture, self-employment and HM Forces. Enterprise counts are 2025 VAT or PAYE registered enterprises, rounded. County figures describe Surrey as a whole. Borough figures are labelled separately and are not interchangeable with them.

Figures checked 10 September 2026

Estate planning first

Estate-planning services available in Surrey

Wills, trusts, lasting powers of attorney, probate and inheritance-tax questions are the core of what we coordinate. Protection sits alongside them, not ahead of them.

Wills

A first will, a rewrite after a life change, or a review of one written years ago.

Wills enquiries

Trusts

Holding assets for children or vulnerable beneficiaries, and reviewing trusts already in place.

Trusts enquiries

Estate planning

The whole picture: what passes on, to whom, in what order, and what could get in the way.

Estate planning enquiries

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Deciding who can act on health and finances if you cannot make decisions yourself.

Lasting Powers of Attorney enquiries

Probate

Support for executors dealing with an estate after a death, and where to start.

Probate enquiries

Inheritance-tax planning

Understanding whether an estate is likely to face a bill, and how it would be met.

Inheritance-tax planning enquiries

Also coordinated

Hypothetical situations

Planning questions to consider in Surrey

Estates where tax is a realistic prospect

The right first step is a proper calculation, including transferable allowances and the residence nil-rate band, rather than an assumption in either direction.

Company shareholdings and share schemes

Wills, shareholders' agreements and any protection arranged for the business need to be consistent, and reliefs are conditional.

Finding the time

If time rather than the decision is the obstacle, say so in your enquiry. What appointment options are available, including remote ones, is for the specialist you are introduced to confirm.

Local guides

Detailed guides across Surrey

Wills, trusts and estate coordinationGuildfordThe county's principal town, with a university, a research park and a large rural borough around it.Read moreWills, trusts and estate coordinationWeybridgeA riverside town within Elmbridge borough, north-west Surrey.Read more

Also covered from here

Other places we cover across Surrey

Each of these is covered from this page. The notes below set out what published local sources say about the place, with the questions worth putting to a specialist.

Wills, trusts and estate planning

Farnham

A Georgian market town near the Hampshire boundary.

Waverley Borough Council's Economic Development Evidence Base of October 2022 reports (page 15), on 2021 UK Business Counts data, that around 30% of the borough's enterprises were in Farnham — the largest single share among the borough's urban settlements, with Godalming at 23%, Haslemere at 9% and 31% in the rural remainder. These are historical 2021 figures for the borough's enterprise base; they are not a current estimate and they say nothing about turnover, earnings or ownership.

If you own a business in Farnham, ask how its ownership and decision-making arrangements interact with your will. Record any shares, premises and contractual commitments separately. The historical enterprise count describes where businesses were registered; it does not show their size, value or ownership, so your own records are the starting point for succession questions.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you run a business here, ask who could act in it if you could not, and whether a lasting power of attorney covering business decisions is appropriate.
  • If you hold shares in a private company, ask how the articles and any shareholders' agreement can affect a transfer or sale, and whether they should be reviewed alongside your will.
  • If your business occupies premises you own, ask how the property and the business should each be dealt with, and whether they should pass together.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Wills, guardianship and trusts

Godalming

A town on the River Wey with substantial family housing and independent schools nearby.

The same Waverley Borough Council evidence base (October 2022, page 15, using 2021 UK Business Counts) reports Godalming as accounting for around 23% of the borough's enterprises, and identifies it as having the largest concentration of finance and insurance enterprises among the borough's urban settlements. Both points are historical 2021 figures about registered enterprises — not about individual incomes, and not a current estimate.

If you are a partner, company owner or employee with financial benefits, list the interests and arrangements you actually hold. Partnership capital, company shares, pensions and death-in-service benefits need to be checked individually against their governing terms. Ask how each interacts with your will and what information an executor or attorney would need.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you are a partner or member of a firm, ask what the partnership or LLP agreement provides on death or incapacity, and how it interacts with your will.
  • If you hold pension or life benefits through work, ask how nominations are recorded and how payment is decided under the scheme rules and any trustee discretion.
  • If you hold investments across several providers, ask how they should be listed so an executor can trace them.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Wills, trusts and legacy planning

Haslemere

A wooded town close to the Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire boundaries.

In the same 2022 Waverley evidence base, Haslemere accounts for around 9% of the borough's enterprises on 2021 UK Business Counts data, with 31% of the borough's enterprises in the rural remainder. Again, these are historical 2021 figures about registered enterprises within the borough, and nothing more.

If your property includes land, outbuildings or a business operated from home, record the ownership and use of each part. Ask what evidence an executor would need and whether any agreements affect transfer or occupation. The borough's rural enterprise share does not establish that a particular household owns land or qualifies for a tax relief.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If your property includes land, paddock or outbuildings, ask what ownership and use evidence an executor would need.
  • If you run a business from home, ask whether it is held personally or through a company, and what that means for who can act.
  • If you think a relief may be relevant to land or a business, ask a specialist to assess it against current HMRC conditions rather than assuming it applies.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Wills, LPAs and benefit nominations

Woking

A commercial town with strong London commuting and a substantial employment base.

The Surrey 2050 Place Ambition (2023) identifies Woking, alongside Guildford and Reigate–Redhill, as a transport hub with a significant economic and residential role in the county. Woking Borough Council's own economic development strategy describes McLaren as an anchor employer for the borough. Both are strategy documents describing role and intent, not assurances about employment or about any employer's arrangements.

If you have a workplace pension, death-in-service cover or a share plan, check each arrangement separately with its provider or a specialist. The rules for payment and transfer can differ, as can their interaction with a will. Record current nominations where applicable, alongside the documents an executor would need to identify those interests.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you have employer pension, life or share-based benefits, ask how each would be dealt with and whether your nominations are up to date.
  • If you commute or work abroad for periods, ask whether your executors and attorneys could act promptly, and whether substitutes should be named.
  • If you own property jointly, ask how it is held and what that means for what passes under your will.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Cross-border estates and wills

Cobham

A village-town in Elmbridge, with an internationally connected population.

Elmbridge Borough Council reported in March 2026 that the Business Improvement Districts covering Cobham, Esher, Walton and Weybridge together bring in over £550,000 of additional annual investment for those centres. That figure is the collective total across the four BIDs, not an amount for any one town, and it describes investment in the centres rather than the trading position of any business in them.

If you run a high-street business, record its ownership, premises arrangements and governing documents. Ask how a transfer or sale could work and who could make decisions in your absence. A Business Improvement District's investment supports the centre; it does not show how any individual business has arranged its succession or how much it is worth.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you run a high-street business, ask who could take decisions if you could not, and what the company or partnership documents allow.
  • If you hold a shop lease, ask what obligations would continue after a death and who could deal with the landlord.
  • If your will was written before you started or bought the business, ask whether it still reflects how the business is actually held.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Business succession and estate liquidity

Esher

A commuter town in Elmbridge with a mix of period and modern housing.

Elmbridge Borough Council's Employment Land Review of April 2025 identifies (page 19) a professional, scientific and technical cluster associated with Esher. The council also reported in March 2026 that the borough's four Business Improvement Districts — Cobham, Esher, Walton and Weybridge — collectively bring over £550,000 of additional annual investment to those centres. Both are borough-level documents about business activity, not statements about household finances.

If you work through a company, partnership or consultancy, distinguish the business interest from your personal assets. Ask how its governing documents deal with death or inability to act, and how those terms fit your will. Where income depends on the business, protection can be considered alongside the ownership and succession questions if relevant.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you work through your own company or an LLP, ask how the governing documents deal with death and incapacity and how they sit with your will.
  • If your income depends on your personal involvement, ask what would be needed to wind the business down properly rather than to sell it.
  • If you hold intellectual property or client contracts personally, ask how they should be described in your will.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

First wills, LPAs and will reviews

Epsom

A well-connected town with professional households and a mixed local economy.

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council's equine report of March 2020, prepared as part of the local plan evidence base, describes the racecourse, thoroughbred training activity and the associated visitor activity as a distinctive part of the borough's economy. It is a planning evidence document about the sector, and says nothing about household finances or about entitlement to any tax relief.

If you own an equestrian business, land, horses or premises, list each interest and any occupancy or partnership agreement separately. Ask a specialist how ownership and continuing commitments would be handled after a death. Equestrian use alone should not be treated as proof of agricultural or business relief; eligibility depends on the assets and applicable conditions.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you own horses, a yard, livery arrangements or specialist equipment, ask how each should be described in your will and who could look after them immediately.
  • If you occupy or own land under a lease, licence or grazing arrangement, ask what would happen to it on a death and what evidence would be needed.
  • If you think an agricultural or business relief may be relevant, ask a specialist to assess ownership, use and value against current HMRC conditions.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Trust reviews and estate planning

Reigate

A town below the North Downs with strong commuter connections.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council's Economic Framework 2021–26 identifies a finance and insurance cluster in the borough and points to fintech as an opportunity area. These are borough-level characteristics set out in a strategy document — they are not a statement about jobs in Reigate town, and they say nothing about individual pay or wealth.

If you have pension, death-in-service or share benefits, check each scheme's rules and how it interacts with your will. If you also own shares in a private company or an interest in a firm, record those separately. The borough's finance cluster does not establish which benefits any resident receives or whether they fall within an estate.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you hold pension, life or share-based benefits, ask exactly how each is dealt with on death and whether your nomination records still reflect your wishes.
  • If you hold deferred or conditional awards, ask what would happen to them and who would need to be told.
  • If your affairs span several providers or employers, ask how to keep a single, current list an executor could work from.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

Rural business and family succession

Dorking

A market town at the foot of Box Hill, with rural surroundings and independent business.

Mole Valley District Council's countryside and open spaces material describes the 10km Mole Gap Trail running from Dorking to Leatherhead by way of Denbies Wine Estate. It is a description of a recreational route and the landscape it passes through, and it should not be read as saying anything about who owns land in the district.

If your interests include a rural enterprise, vineyard-related business or land, record the assets you own, their use and any leases or operating agreements. Ask how business authority and succession would work in your circumstances. The local visitor and rural setting is useful context, but it does not establish the ownership or tax treatment of a particular property.

Questions worth asking a specialist

  • If you own or have an interest in a rural or visitor business, ask how it would be dealt with on death and what its documents require.
  • If you own land, woodland or buildings alongside a home, ask what evidence of ownership and use an executor would need.
  • If a relief has been mentioned to you, ask a specialist to test it against current HMRC conditions rather than relying on a general assumption.

Sources

Sources checked 10 September 2026.

How introductions work

Serving Surrey

  1. Step 1

    You tell us what has prompted the enquiry

    A short guided conversation, online or by phone. No documents needed, and nothing is committed at this stage.

  2. Step 2

    We work out which specialist fits

    Wills, trusts, LPAs, probate and inheritance-tax enquiries go to estate specialists; protection enquiries go to an appropriately authorised adviser.

  3. Step 3

    We make the introduction and stay reachable

    One named contact coordinates it, so you do not repeat the story. Ask us to explain any charges, and any remuneration we may receive for making an introduction, before you proceed; the specialist sets out their own scope, fees and terms with you directly.

Availability

Enquiries from Surrey are handled remotely by one named contact, by phone, video or email. Cromwell Associates does not operate an office or drop-in service in the county, and we do not publish appointment times or availability we cannot guarantee. Where an in-person meeting is appropriate, the specialist you are introduced to arranges it directly with you.

Questions we are asked

Surrey: common questions

Do you cover all of Surrey?
Yes. Guildford and Weybridge have their own pages because the local picture genuinely differs; other Surrey towns are served from this page rather than given near-identical pages of their own.
Is inheritance-tax planning the same as tax advice?
No. We coordinate the enquiry and introduce you to a suitably qualified specialist. Cromwell Associates does not give tax advice.
Where do I register a death in Surrey?
Surrey County Council operates the county's register offices, and registration is the step that comes before any probate application.

Useful public resources

Official information for Surrey

Arrange a confidential consultation

Tell us what you would like to protect or resolve. One named contact will read your enquiry personally and come back to you.

  • One dedicated point of contact
  • No call centres
  • Introductions handled discreetly
  • Serving Hampshire, West Sussex, Surrey and the Isle of Wight

Cromwell Associates coordinates enquiries and introduces clients to appropriately qualified specialists. We do not provide regulated financial, legal or tax advice, and submitting this form places you under no obligation.

Your enquiry is reviewed personally before any introduction is made.

Please do not send medical details, account numbers or other sensitive information. Cromwell Associates is an enquiry and introduction service: it does not give advice, recommend policies or arrange cover. Insurance introductions are passed on by hand to a suitable specialist, and other services to an appropriate partner. Cromwell Associates may receive a referral payment if you go on to use a service.