Robert Ashworth

Director, Solicitor

+44 (0)1255 254243

robert.ashworth@tsplegal.com

Robert, who qualified as a solicitor in 2007, joined the TSP Wills and Estates team in May 2015. He advises clients on a broad range of private client matters and is based in our Colchester office. Robert is the Director of Robert Ashworth Ltd, a corporate partner in Thompson Smith and Puxon.

Robert, who grew up in a farming family, attended St Peter’s High School in Burnham on Crouch before going on to complete both his Law Degree and Legal Practice Course at Anglia Ruskin University. Since qualifying as a solicitor he has advised clients on their wills, lasting powers of attorney and estate administration. He also advises on elderly and vulnerable client matters and has a particular focus on succession planning advice for the firm’s large portfolio of farming and agricultural clients.

Robert, who in his spare time is a keen cyclist and golfer, added “I enjoy the variety and sometimes challenging nature of the work that we see on a day to day basis.  It is particularly rewarding to assist these clients through what can be a difficult situation in order to reach a successful conclusion.”

Thompson Smith and Puxon has, for a number of years, been highlighted by the Legal 500 as a Leading Firm in this practice area and Robert is a Next Generation Partner.

In 2022/23 the Legal 500 said: Thompson Smith and Puxon‘s group is based in Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea. During 2021, the team acted for a varied client roster in the business and the agricultural sphere. The firm has long-standing and strong relationships with the regional rural community and has a substantial portfolio of agricultural clients. Fiona Ashworth leads a team, which has strong expertise in lifetime and succession planning work. Clients describe Robert Ashworth as ‘excellent, patient and thorough’, and Aileen Hirst is a key team member. Senior associate Nicola Healy joined from Tees Law in 2022.

In 2021/22 the Legal 500 said: Thompson Smith and Puxon’s wills and estates practice is highly prominent in the agriculture sector; its recent workload in this space has included advice to clients on farming family successions, high-value estate administrations and tax-related issues. Fiona Ashworth and Robert Ashworth are both members of the Agricultural Law Association, and along with Aileen Hirst, are members of the Tendring Hundred Farmers Association and Suffolk Agricultural Association. Beyond work for agricultural clients, the practice is highlighted for its advice to business owners and high-net-worth individuals on lifetime and succession planning. Elsewhere, the team’s other areas of expertise include Court of Protection deputyship matters, powers of attorney and contested wills.

In 2020/21 the Legal 500 said: Preparation of wills, administration of estates and enduring powers of attorney are all handled by the ‘diverse and knowledgeable’ personal tax, trusts and probate team at Thompson Smith and Puxon. In addition, it provides specialist legal advice to the friends and family of the elderly, particularly in relation to Court of Protection applications. Team leader Fiona Ashworth is a specialist in the agricultural sector and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. Solicitors Aileen Hirst and Sarah White are accredited members of Solicitors for the Elderly while Robert Ashworth is recommended for succession planning, with an emphasis on farming clients.

In 2019 the Legal 500 said: “Thompson Smith and Puxon’s ‘impressive’ private client department is ‘very well versed in dealing with complex matters’ which include all aspects of wills, inheritance tax planning and the administration of estates. Led by standout practitioner Fiona Ashworth, who clients describe as a ‘real asset to the firm‘, the team is proficient in handling high-value and often uniquely challenging transfers of inter-generational wealth. The agriculture sector has traditionally been a strong client focus of the firm. Aileen Hirst acts for high-net-worth clients and advises on trust planning and estates. Sarah White and Robert Ashworth are also recommended.”

To find out more about the Wills and Estates services that Robert can offer click here.

Robert is a Dementia Friend, an Alzheimer’s Society scheme which aims to raise awareness of what it’s like to live with dementia and how people living with it can be helped. Find out more about the scheme and how TSP is involved here.