Assisted Dying Abroad - Key Issues for Private Client Practitioners

Introduction

The defeat of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 2026-27 at Second Reading in September 2026 means that the proposed statutory framework for assisted dying will not become law through that Bill. However, the legal and practical issues surrounding assisted dying remain relevant for private client practitioners. Clients may consider their end-of-life options, including travelling abroad, creating potentially complex questions around wills, LPAs, advance decisions, capacity, vulnerability and succession planning. The involvement of family members or beneficiaries may also raise issues under the forfeiture rule, with potentially significant consequences for inheritance.

For private client advisers, these situations require careful consideration of the current legal position and the practical and professional issues that can arise when advising clients at the end of life. This practical webinar will focus on the issues practitioners should identify when advising clients and their families, helping delegates understand the implications for estate planning, succession and the taking of instructions in sensitive end-of-life circumstances.

The webinar is suitable for non-contentious private client practitioners and professionals in professional services firms advising on estate, tax and wealth planning.

What You Will Learn

The webinar will cover the following:

• The current legal position on assisted dying following the defeat of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill 2026-27 and what this means for private client practitioners
• The implications for wills, LPAs and advance decisions where a client is contemplating an assisted death
• Capacity, undue influence and vulnerability, including the safeguards practitioners should consider when taking instructions in an end-of-life context
• The forfeiture rule and inheritance, including when involvement in an assisted death may affect a beneficiary’s entitlement, the potential succession consequences and when relief from forfeiture may be available
• Estate and succession planning, including how to identify potential problems during the client’s lifetime and minimise unintended consequences after death
• Practical and professional issues arising where a client is contemplating an assisted death abroad, including professional duties, confidentiality, the questions practitioners should ask and the issues they should consider