How Lamera Capital Helps Solicitors Deliver Better Outcomes on Currency and Timing

Today’s legal practice is global by default. Clients purchase homes in London while living in Dubai, hold savings in Zurich, inherit from Spain, and maintain family ties across three jurisdictions. For solicitors, this means routine exposure to cross-border conveyancing, probate, and succession matters. The legal complexities are significant but there is another variable that can quietly derail completion dates, increase client costs, and complicate compliance: currency and timing. 

Late incoming funds can jeopardise a property completion. Unfavourable exchange rates can reduce the net inheritance by thousands. International bank delays frustrate clients and fee earners alike. And compliance teams, under pressure to meet SRA standards, must document the origin of funds and create a clear audit trail that stands up to scrutiny. 

These issues are not rare exceptions; they are everyday realities for solicitors acting for overseas buyers, non-resident sellers, executors, or beneficiaries abroad. 

Lamera Capital works alongside solicitors to simplify this part of the process. We manage the currency flow from timing, execution, and settlement to AML verification in a way that complements your file and protects your client’s position. The solicitor safeguards legality; we safeguard the money. Together, your matter runs on time, with fewer risks and better financial outcomes.  

When clients fund from overseas, several problems occur at once. Large sums arrive late, exchange rates move unpredictably, and intermediary banks introduce clearance delays that clients never anticipate. A buyer wiring funds from Hong Kong or Dubai may assume the transfer will settle next day; in practice, it can take three to five business days before the solicitor sees value. 

Meanwhile, currency volatility between offer, exchange, and completion can quietly change affordability. A move of just 2–3% in the GBP rate on a £500,000 purchase is enough to create a shortfall that has to be made up last-minute. 

From the solicitor’s perspective, the problem is not just market movement. Each payment must also be justified under AML rules. You must evidence source of funds, screen for PEP and sanctions exposure, and reconcile multiple statements from overseas accounts & often under tight completion deadlines. 

In private client work, the pattern is similar. Executors frequently need to repatriate proceeds from foreign property sales or liquidated accounts, or to distribute assets to beneficiaries in several countries. Using a high-street bank for these transfers can be slow and expensive. Fees, poor exchange rates, and multi-day settlement cycles reduce what reaches the estate or the beneficiaries. 

Add to this the administrative load of notarisation, translations, and apostilles, and the process can stretch for weeks. Yet the timing of conversions and transfers still determines how much value is preserved in the end. 

At Lamera, we design our service precisely around these pressure points, removing friction, introducing predictability, and protecting value.  

A proactive FX strategy can transform how a transaction runs. The earlier the planning, the better the outcome. 

Real case example: avoiding a £9,000 rate loss
 
A Dubai-based buyer was completing on a £300,000 London property. Two weeks before completion, they pre-booked their GBP rate through Lamera. By the completion week, sterling had strengthened by roughly 3%. Without that forward contract, the same property would have cost about £9,000 more in the client’s home currency. The solicitor received cleared funds on schedule and the transaction closed without stress.
 
Supporting solicitors directly
Lamera Capital operates as a behind-the-scenes partner to your conveyancing and private client teams.
 

Our reputation rests on reliability, auditability, and compliance values that solicitors understand instinctively.
 
Domicile and jurisdiction: the legal frame that shapes the money flow
Domicile is the foundation of cross-border estate law. It determines which succession laws and tax rules apply, and it can differ entirely from a client’s passport or current residence. The UK is not a single legal jurisdiction; for governing law, an individual is domiciled in England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
If domicile is uncertain, evidence may be required and its implications ripple through the entire process. It decides whether UK inheritance tax applies to worldwide assets, whether a foreign will must be resealed, and which country’s rules take precedence in a conflict of laws.

Why this matters for currency
From an FX perspective, domicile and asset location create the map for conversions. If an estate must pay inheritance tax in sterling but distribute funds to beneficiaries in euros or dollars, the sequence and timing of conversions determine how much value is retained. By aligning FX execution with legal milestones tax payment dates, grant applications, and beneficiary distributions Lamera helps solicitors protect value without slowing administration.

International probate in practice: resealing, local grants, and conflicting laws
Cross-border probate arises when a deceased person owned assets in more than one country or was a foreign national with UK assets. A UK grant does not automatically unlock overseas property or accounts. Executors may need to reseal the UK grant in another jurisdiction a faster, less costly process in many Commonwealth territories or apply for a full local probate in civil law countries such as France or Spain.
Documents may need certified translations, notarisation, and an apostille. In some jurisdictions, courts retain the original will, so the UK Probate Registry must rely on notarised copies and sworn statements explaining the absence of the original. Forced heirship rules can override an English will for immovable property abroad, and tax obligations may overlap.
UK inheritance tax applies to worldwide assets if the deceased was UK domiciled, while foreign succession taxes can also apply locally. Relief may be available through treaties or unilateral provisions, but timing and documentation are critical.

How Lamera supports the probate file
Lamera coordinates currency conversions and international payments for executors, ensuring distributions match the legal plan rather than arbitrary spot rates. We stage conversions against expected sale or completion dates, provide complete trade and remittance trails, and deliver beneficiary payments in local currencies with full audit evidence.

Real case example: multi-currency estate preservation
A UK executor administered an estate containing a Spanish villa and US investments. The sale of the villa generated euro proceeds; the executor needed sterling for inheritance tax and had three beneficiaries, two in the Eurozone, one in the United States. Lamera fixed the GBP for tax at the expected completion date, then executed the remaining EUR and USD distributions over two carefully timed windows to avoid weaker market levels. The estate retained more than £20,000 in value compared with a single, unplanned conversion at spot.

Why probate lawyers must consider currency
When estates include foreign assets, the funds usually arrive in a foreign currency before they can be paid into a UK client account or distributed. Leaving the conversion to a high-street bank is a common but costly mistake.
Banks often charge fees and apply wide exchange spreads. On large transfers, the difference between a bank’s rate and a specialist’s rate can exceed 3–5%. On a £100,000 equivalent, that means £3,000–£5,000 lost to the estate, a silent reduction that no executor or solicitor intends but few question.

Example comparison
Conversion Example Bank Rate (1.10)
Lamera Capital Rate (1.14)
Difference €200,000 to GBP | £220,000 | £228,000 | +£8,000 saved
 
Under SRA Principle 4, solicitors must act in the client’s best interests and disclose relevant material information. Discussing FX options with clients at the outset is therefore part of good client care, not an optional courtesy.
Lamera supports firms with ready-made prompts and guidance so that fee earners can raise the subject confidently. We provide no-obligation rate comparisons, timing options, and clear explanations of fixed-rate versus flexible approaches, all documented for your compliance file.
 
The hidden bottleneck: moving the money
Even when the legal work is complete, overseas banks can slow everything down. They impose daily limits, introduce unexpected checks, and miss cut-offs. Intermediary institutions can add one or two extra days to settlement. Clients are often caught off guard and solicitors end up managing the fallout.

What changes when Lamera is involved
We help clients pre-position their currency and lock rates aligned to legal milestones, whether that is exchange, completion, or probate distribution. We settle same-day or next-day in all major currencies and provide trade tickets, settlement confirmations, and beneficiary advice linked to your matter references.
Finance teams can reconcile immediately, and fee earners avoid the stress of chasing missing payments on completion day. When the legal step is ready, the funds are ready too.

Tax and timing: protecting value through precision
Tax obligations crystallise on legal events. Currency timing can either protect or erode value.
 

A one to two percent improvement on a seven-figure transfer can cover professional fees and reduce stress for families. Lamera aligns FX planning with the solicitor’s tax timetable, using market insights and tactical timing so that obligations are met precisely without waste.


Preventing unnecessary problems: planning ahead
Most cross-border complications can be avoided with early coordination. Address domicile clearly and record evidence. Where multiple wills are required, ensure they do not revoke each other and that copies are shared across advisers. Keep an inventory of overseas assets, contacts, and accounts.
From a currency standpoint, pre-arranging multi-currency accounts or forward facilities can make future administration far smoother. Including simple guidance in a letter of wishes can spare executors from volatile markets later.

Lamera assists quietly in the background, structuring FX frameworks that executors and solicitors can rely on when the time comes.

Case studies in practice
Urgent overseas buyer
A Singapore-based buyer had forty-eight hours to fund completion into a UK client account. Lamera completed onboarding within the day, executed a same-day conversion, and settled funds to the solicitor on value. The client saved roughly £6,000 compared with their bank’s quoted rate, and the matter completed without stress.

Cross-border probate
An executor managing a mixed estate of euro property and US investments required GBP for inheritance tax and distributions in multiple currencies. Lamera sequenced conversions around tax deadlines and agreed beneficiary transfer windows. The staged approach preserved over £20,000 compared to a single-day conversion.

Non-resident capital gains tax payment
A seller due to pay UK CGT held funds in USD. Lamera booked a forward to secure the required sterling amount before completion, eliminating exposure to a volatile market and ensuring timely payment.

Why the choice of partner matters
Banks are not designed around legal workflows. They charge transfer fees, apply inconsistent rates, and rarely provide the documentation a solicitor needs. Currency specialists operating at scale can offer sharper pricing, faster settlement, and full transparency but only if they also understand the compliance and audit standards of a law firm.
Lamera Capital bridges that gap. We provide competitive rates, same-day settlement, and a compliance posture aligned with solicitors’ professional obligations. We speak the same language: accuracy, punctuality, and discretion.
 
How we work with law firms
 

Conclusion: Precision on both sides of the transaction

Cross-border property and probate matters combine legal complexity with financial sensitivity. The solicitor ensures legality and compliance. A trusted currency partner ensures the same precision in the movement of money.
 
Lamera Capital exists to make that financial side as efficient, compliant, and value-smart as the legal one. We help solicitors protect their clients’ funds, meet deadlines, and enhance outcomes.
 
If your firm regularly handles overseas buyers, cross-border estates, or clients with international financial exposure, speak with Lamera Capital. We’ll build a simple, compliant process that fits your workflow, helping you deliver the same professional excellence in finance that you already provide in law.