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Overview
Matthew is an Associate in the Private Client team at Payne Hicks Beach, specialising in UK wills, trusts, and estates.
He advises testators, settlors, beneficiaries, executors, and trustees on a wide range of complex matters, including those with a contentious element, those involving thorny family dynamics, and those where validity, construction and capacity issues are engaged.
Matthew works closely and effectively with the firm’s contentious trusts and estates, probate, family law and property teams in order to provide a holistic service to clients.
Expertise
Wills, Probate & Estate Planning
Matthew supports clients with:
- Drafting complex Wills and Codicils
- Preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs)
- Advising on issues of capacity, validity, and legal construction
- Structuring estates for tax-efficient succession planning
He ensures that clients’ personal and financial affairs are protected through carefully tailored legal solutions.
Trusts & Estate Administration
Matthew advises on all aspects of trust and estate administration, including:
- Tax planning structures for trusts and estates
- Appointment, removal, and retirement of trustees
- Supporting executors and beneficiaries through probate processes
- Managing complex family and fiduciary relationships
He is experienced in navigating sensitive matters involving family dynamics and fiduciary duties.
Qualifications & Accreditations
Career & Legal Training
- Qualified as a Solicitor: 2024
- Training Contract: Payne Hicks Beach (2022–2024) with seats in
- Property
- Private Client
- Dispute Resolution
- Family Law
Education
- BA (First Class) in English Language & Literature, University of Oxford
- MSt (Distinction) in Eighteenth-Century Literature, University of Oxford
- PGDL and LPC, BPP Law School
Awards & Accolades
The Legal 500 UK 2026
Highlights Matthew Franks as a ‘Recommended Key Lawyer’ for ‘Art and Cultural Property’.
