Caroline joined Birketts in 2025 as a Partner in the private client advisory team, bringing over 20 years of experience in advising on private wealth matters.
She acts for a wide range of UK-based and international clients and families, with a particular focus on the administration of high net worth and complex estates, often involving foreign assets (including grant re-seals and double taxation relief claims) and estates with contentious elements.
Her expertise includes advising extensively on Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) for large landed estates. Caroline regularly engages with HMRC and the District Valuer’s Office on all aspects of inheritance tax, including valuations, surplus income gifting and estates with trust structures.
Caroline also has significant experience supporting national charity clients in administering complex estates. She understands the delicate balance required between charitable and non-charitable beneficiaries. She has also advised trust corporation directors in their role as independent administrators and attorneys on many challenging probates.
Recent work highlights
Resolving chain of trusteeship matters to enable the sale of a landed estate
Advising trustees on a landed estate where historic trust deeds and documents had been lost. The title deeds, having never been updated since the 1950s detailed the original trustees. Drafted and collated a statutory declaration to prove the chain of trusteeship from the original trustee appointment to the current day. Following successful registration with HM Land Registry, the sale of the significant estate by the current trustees was enabled.
Surplus income gifting claim
Advising executors as regards gifting and inheritance tax in the administration of an estate which involved extensive advice surrounding the rules pertaining to both charitable and non-charitable gifting, the 14 year rule and the various claims and reliefs available.
Advising on the valuation and administration of former Nazi confiscated assets
This spanned two separate matters, one involving advising on compensation for confiscated artworks held by a German museum to a deceased’s estate heirs. The other advising on the valuation of confiscated land in Czech Republic for inheritance tax reporting.
Experience & education
2017 – 2025 Michelmores LLP, Tax, trusts and succession team (left as Partner)
2004 – 2017 Clarke Willmott LLP, wills and probate team (left as Associate)
June 2009 Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
Areas of Expertise
Caroline Alexander provided clear and comprehensive advice. She is a very experienced and approachable lawyer who is not only technically solid but really ‘gets’ her clients and cuts through problems with pragmatic and understandable advice, which was invaluable to us…
Legal 500 [UK 2025]