In this episode of Everlake, John McNicholas sits down with Jennifer McConnell of LivingLegacy.ie to explore a topic most of us avoid, but all of us will face: advanced planning, succession, and the legacy we leave behind.

Drawing on an extraordinary career that spans crisis management in Haiti, humanitarian work in Papua New Guinea, and leadership roles in Irish nonprofits, Jennifer brings a rare depth of experience to a subject that is as practical as it is human.

John and Jennifer unpack why planning ahead isn’t morbid—it’s an act of love. They discuss what families and business owners often overlook when preparing for the future, from enduring powers of attorney and digital assets, to succession in family enterprises and community organisations.

Jennifer also shares the surprising emotional and psychological benefits that come from getting your affairs in order: greater clarity, greater freedom, and a renewed ability to live fully in the present.

Main Topics Discussed in this Episode:

1. Advanced planning & “death admin” – why it’s important to put wills, enduring powers of attorney, digital access and practical instructions in place long before they’re needed.
2. Redefining legacy – seeing legacy not just as what happens after you die, but the mark you’re already making through your relationships, values, choices and even things like memoir writing.
3. Succession in business and community organisations – how family businesses, SMEs and nonprofits can plan for leadership handover, avoid founder syndrome, and protect the mission beyond any one person.
4. Overcoming fear, procrastination and overwhelm – the emotional barriers to planning, and how accountability, deadlines, checklists and small steps can make the process manageable.
5. Working with advisers and support networks – how financial planners, solicitors, tax advisers, doctors and services like Living Legacy can work together to help you plan well and reduce the burden on your family.

Get in touch with Jennifer:

Website: https://www.livinglegacy.ie/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcconnell/

Instagram: @livinglegacy.ie

Chapters:

• (00:00) – Introduction to Jennifer McConnell
• (03:00) – Crisis management lessons that shaped Living Legacy
• (07:20) – Jennifer’s accident and the “what if” moment
• (12:00) – Why we avoid advanced planning
• (15:40) – Digital legacy, passwords, and modern life admin
• (19:10) – Using birthdays as an annual planning checkpoint
• (20:40) – Succession planning in families and organisations
• (24:50) – Founder syndrome and letting go
• (28:20) – Values, communication, and organisational culture
• (32:10) – Legacy as who you are today
• (38:00) – Preparing for financial, legal, and practical realities
• (43:30) – How planning frees your present life

---

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Everlake podcast!

If you'd like to work with us, head to https://www.everlake.ie/ and follow the instructions to book a consultation.

If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend or colleague and leave us a rating & review on your podcast app.

LinkedIn ||

How can you support your children financially, on your terms, while optimising for tax and retaining control?

In this episode, Marc Westlake is joined by Andrea McNamara, Director of Private Client Law at EY Law Ireland, to unpack the often-overlooked but highly effective structure of family partnerships in Ireland.

There are some differences between Trusts and Family Partnerships (check out previous episodes for more from Andrea) and Andrea covers these differences, the common structures and benefits and what you should think about when considering a Family Partnership for your kids.

Marc & Andrea discuss how this flexible vehicle allows parents to transfer assets to children during their lifetime, without losing control or creating future tax headaches.

1. Understanding Family Partnerships: A practical look at what family partnerships are, how they work in an Irish context, and how they differ from more familiar structures like wills or trusts.
2. Retaining Control While Transferring Wealth: Andrea explains how parents can transfer asset growth to their children while keeping full control over decisions, timing of distributions, and investment strategy.
3. Tax Planning Through Gifts, Loans, and Exemptions: The conversation explores how combining lifetime gifts, loans, and the small gift exemption can reduce future inheritance tax and optimise long-term wealth transfers.
4. When Family Partnerships Make Sense: Marc and Andrea discuss when this structure is appropriate and how it can suit different family and financial situations.
5. Teaching Financial Responsibility Across Generations: Family partnerships can be used as a tool to gradually involve children in wealth management, helping them build confidence and capability before receiving significant assets.

Find out more about Andrea McNamara:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-mcnamara-678921130/

EY Law is independent of Everlake and the views and opinions expressed by EY Law are not necessarily the views and opinions of Everlake.

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to Andrea McNamara

(01:26) - What is a family partnership?

(03:04) - How equity is structured for children

(05:04) - Retaining control while gifting value

(07:02) - Using family partnerships for property

(08:59) - Gift vs loan: key distinctions

(10:44) - Planning with surplus assets only

(12:15) - Leveraging the small gift exemption

(13:45) - Tax treatment and revenue reporting

(16:06) - Administration, filings, and formality

(18:43) - Tax filing for children’s share

(20:40) - Educational benefits for next generation

(22:55) - Trusts vs partnerships: key differences

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Everlake podcast!

If you'd like to work with us, head to https://www.everlake.ie/ and follow the instructions to book a consultation.

If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend or colleague and leave us a rating & review on your podcast app.

LinkedIn || YouTube || X (Twitter) || Bluesky

This podcast is...

In this follow-up to their in-depth conversation, Marc Westlake is joined once again by Irish tax expert and host of Taxbytes for Expats, Stephanie Wickham for Part 2 of their conversation. Together, they chat about more of the complex and often misunderstood realities facing expats and returning Irish citizens navigating the Irish tax system.

In Part 1, Marc and Steph discussed the mainstays of tax advice: what to do, what it costs, and why working with the right professionals matters, especially when you can get a team together.

This episode explores the real-world consequences of mismatched or incomplete advice, including probate delays, incorrect tax returns, and harsh surprises around U.S. estate tax and Irish capital acquisitions tax. And the anecdotes they share from their time working in tax and finance is invaluable. (Marc might even share a mistake he made that Steph fixed for him!)

Stephanie and Marc explore why joined-up thinking between tax and financial advisors is crucial, the costly risks of DIY compliance, and the challenges of coordinating non-Irish funds with the Irish system. Once again, having two experts in the room like this is rare - make sure you take notes!

1. Common tax mistakes for expats and returnees: Many people unknowingly fail to file correctly or assume foreign income isn’t taxable in Ireland, leading to serious consequences.
2. The importance of joined-up advice between countries: When tax and financial advisors don’t coordinate across jurisdictions, clients can face unnecessary tax bills or compliance issues.
3. How Ireland’s offshore fund regime affects investments: Non-Irish funds can trigger punitive tax treatment, and most investors don’t realise the impact until it’s too late.
4. Why doing your own tax return can backfire: Even experienced professionals make mistakes, and DIY tax filings can result in costly errors and missed reliefs.
5. The real cost of poor or incomplete financial advice: Trying to save on fees often leads to higher tax bills and long-term problems that far outweigh the initial cost of expert advice.

Find out more about Stephanie Wickham & Expat Taxes:

Expat Taxes Website: https://www.expattaxes.ie/

Subscribe to her podcast: https://expattaxes.ie/taxbytes-for-expats-podcast/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wickham-b4aba13b/

Expat Taxes is independent of Everlake and the views and opinions expressed by Expat Taxes are not necessarily the views and opinions of Everlake.

---

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of the Everlake podcast!

If you'd like to work with us, head to https://www.everlake.ie/ and follow the instructions to book a consultation.

If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend or colleague and leave us a rating & review on your podcast app.

LinkedIn || YouTube || X (Twitter) || Bluesky

This podcast is intended for information and educational purposes only