Her experience is wide ranging and includes high net worth estates, estates involving foreign assets and repatriation, estates where a large number of beneficiaries need to be traced (the record stands at over 90) and those containing business assets.
Lesley adopts a professional and informative approach whilst ensuring that her clients feel comfortable and at ease in situations that can often be emotional and difficult.
She is approachable, sympathetic and effective, endeavouring at all times to meet her clients’ legal requirements with speed and efficiency. Lesley is also happy to make home or hospital visits for clients who cannot attend the office.
Private Client Wills & Succession Planning
Meet Lesley Rushton, Head of Private Client:
My Specialisms

Lesley works extensively with the elderly and vulnerable. She is a fully accredited member of the Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), a select and specialist national group of lawyers who support and make a difference to older and vulnerable people.
Lesley is in the directory of specialist legal professionals for MENCAP and for the National Autistic Society. She also acts as an observer for Age UK Herne Bay and gives talks to local voluntary and charity organisations about Wills and Powers of Attorney.
She has particular expertise in the following areas:
- Drafting of Wills and Lasting Power of Attorney
- Work involving the Court of Protection – Deputy appointments and capacity issues
- Declarations of Trust for property matters
- Severance of Joint Tenancy and Entry of Restrictions at HM Land Registry
- Dealing with probate: Estate administration, Variation of Wills
- Advising on Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax planning, tax mitigation and estate planning to include foreign assets
- Advice on Trusts
- Personal Injury Trust advice and drafting
- Lifetime gift planning.
Lesley adopts a professional and informative approach whilst ensuring that her clients feel comfortable and at ease in situations that can often be emotional and difficult.
Lesley was born in Canterbury and attended Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham. She graduated from Middlesex University with a Bachelor of Law Honours Degree and completed her Solicitors’ Finals at Guildford School of Law. She was articled to Girlings in 1990 and qualified as a solicitor in 1992. When she qualified, Lesley joined the Private Client team at Girlings. Five years later Lesley became a Partner and shortly after was appointed as Head of Department.
The Private Client Department is accredited by the Law Society under their Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS). This is a best practice quality mark for Wills and estate administration and sets rigorous client service standards to ensure transparency in process, costs and communications.
