Plan for Inheritance

Turn wealth into a lasting legacy.

side-image

Start planning early

More time gives you more choice.

The best time to think about inheritance is before decisions become urgent.

Starting early gives you greater control over how and when wealth is transferred. It creates time to consider different options, understand the potential tax implications and have important conversations with the people involved.

Most importantly, it allows inheritance planning to become part of your wider financial plan rather than a series of decisions made in isolation.

How much can you afford to pass on?

Your security comes first.

Before deciding how much you can give away, you need to understand what you may need to keep.

We consider your assets and liabilities alongside your expected income, spending, retirement plans, lifestyle and potential future needs.

Cashflow modelling can then help you explore how different decisions could affect your financial position over time, giving you greater confidence about what you may be able to pass on without compromising your own financial security.

side-image
side-image

Plan for inheritance tax

Keeping more of your wealth in the family.

Tax shouldn’t drive your inheritance plan. But careful planning can make a significant difference to what your family ultimately receives.

We help you make the most of relevant exemptions and reliefs, while ensuring beneficiaries have the liquidity to meet potential tax liabilities.

And as tax rules change, we’ll keep your plan up to date, bringing in specialist tax expertise when needed to help protect your interests.

A strategy for each asset

Each one needs its own plan.

Property, investments, pensions, business interests and protection policies do not necessarily pass from one generation to the next in the same way.

Ownership structures, beneficiary arrangements, taxation and access to cash can all affect the outcome.

We’ll look across your wealth as a whole, helping you understand how different assets may be treated and how they fit together within your wider inheritance plan.

side-image

Prepare your family

Passing on knowledge alongside wealth.

Passing on wealth is about more than its financial value. It’s about ensuring what you’ve created is appreciated, respected and managed responsibly for generations to come.

We help prepare beneficiaries for the opportunities and responsibilities wealth brings, through education, family governance and open conversations about your wishes, expectations and the legacy you want to leave.

side-image

The right legal arrangements

Making your wishes clear.

A Will is an essential part of inheritance planning, but it is only one part of the picture.

Your plan may also need to consider asset ownership, beneficiary nominations, pensions, protection, lifetime gifting, business succession and what should happen if you are no longer able to make financial decisions yourself.

Bringing these elements together can help ensure your wishes are understood and your family is better prepared for whatever happens.

Review your inheritance plan regularly

Circumstances change. So should your approach.

Inheritance planning isn’t a one-off exercise.

Your wealth may grow. Tax rules may change. Children marry, families expand, businesses are sold and priorities evolve.

We’ll keep your plan under review, revisiting your investments, liquidity, pensions, Wills, succession arrangements and family objectives as your circumstances change.

So the decisions you make continue to reflect the life you are living and the legacy you want to leave.

side-image

Why Goodbody?

Advice built around your family values.

Before we advise, we take the time to understand you, your family, your wealth.

That means looking beyond your assets to understand your priorities, the needs and personalities within your family, and your hopes for the generations that follow.

From there, we bring together financial planning, investment and succession expertise to create one connected plan, balancing what you need for your lifetime with what you want to pass on.

It’s one plan, built around your lifetime and the generations that follow.

Latest Insights

View more insights

20th August 2026

Relocating Overseas: International Tax Regime Guide 2026

View
10th July 2025

Retirement Guide 2025: Strategies for savings, setbacks and..

View
27th March 2025

Inheritance Guide 2025: Guide to inheritance and estate..

View
7th September 2026

Investment Viewpoint: Inflation back in focus

View

Our Team

Head of Tax LinkedIn

Catriona Coady

+353 1 641 0494 catriona.coady@goodbody.ie
Head of Financial Planning & Pension Strategy LinkedIn

Owen Redmond

+353 1 641 9120 owen.p.redmond@goodbody.ie
Head of Pensions Technical LinkedIn

Jim Connolly

jim.connolly@goodbody.ie

Frequently Asked Questions

Key points to consider

No. Inheritance planning can be relevant wherever you have assets or financial responsibilities, including property, investments, pensions, life cover or a family business.

A useful first step is to build a complete picture of your assets and liabilities and understand your current net worth. From there, you can consider your lifetime income and spending requirements, the potential future value of your estate and what you may ultimately want different beneficiaries to receive.

There is no single answer. It depends on your own financial needs, the assets involved, your family circumstances, how much control you wish to retain and the needs of the intended beneficiaries. We can help you explore the options as part of your wider financial plan.

A range of exemptions and reliefs may be available depending on your circumstances – including the annual small gift exemption, Dwelling House Exemption, Business Relief and Agricultural Relief, along with insurance-based planning under Section 72 and Section 73. Tax rules can change, and personalised tax and legal advice may be required.

A Will is fundamental, but a comprehensive inheritance plan can go considerably further. It may also consider cashflow, taxation, asset ownership, beneficiary nominations, pensions, life cover, family governance and an Enduring Power of Attorney.

Different pensions and investments can be treated differently depending on their structure, ownership and your circumstances. As part of your planning, we can help you understand how different assets fit into the wider picture and where specialist tax or legal advice may be appropriate.

Cross-border inheritance can be more complex, with tax potentially affected by residency, domicile, the location of assets and the laws of different jurisdictions. Specialist tax and legal advice should generally form part of the planning process.

Whenever there is a significant change in your personal, financial or family circumstances. Even without a major change, regular reviews can help ensure your Will, investments, liquidity and wider succession arrangements continue to reflect your intentions.

The answers to these frequently asked questions do not constitute investment advice.

More expertise

Here are a few other ways we can help, depending on your circumstances.

Build Wealth

Create a strategy for growing your capital around your longer-term objectives.
 
Discover More

Invest Capital

Explore how to put a significant lump sum or liquidity event to work.
 
Discover More

Create a Financial Plan

Bring your income, investments, pensions and future ambitions together in one financial roadmap.
 
Discover More

Plan for Retirement

Build a strategy to turn the wealth you accumulate today into the income and lifestyle you want tomorrow.
 
Discover More

Plan for Inheritance

Consider how to preserve your wealth, make lifetime gifts and pass assets to future generations.
 
Discover More

Family Investment

Bring structure, investment expertise and long-term thinking to wealth that spans generations.
 
Discover More

Business Owners

Connect your personal wealth strategy with the business you have built and your plans for its future.
 
Discover More

Exit My Business

Plan how a future sale or succession event fits into your wider wealth strategy.
 
Discover More