Heather Thompson

Acting for a widow with a chronic medical condition and caring for her mentally challenged adult daughter in The Bahamas

Heather acted for a foundation which she had established for a North American couple residing in The Bahamas. The husband passed away, leaving his wife,  who is living with a chronic medical condition, with the responsibility of caring for their mentally challenged adult daughter. It was important to ensure that the assets of the foundation continued as a tax efficient structure to facilitate this care. Thompson was engaged to help the mother, who had no close relatives, navigate a complex array of fiduciary alternatives and to determine whether a foundation was still the best option.

In this regard, Heather acted to restructure the foundation, setting in place succession planning for protectors who played different roles in the administration of the foundation, remove and replace the existing foundation council, and draft a complex letter of wishes setting out the wife’s philosophy of wealth hopes and wishes for the care of her daughter.

She also dealt with the succession of assets outside of the foundation, advised on charitable giving and established contractual relationships with the protectors. Thompson was also responsible for helping the daughter to gain a measure of independence by arranging for  an exchange control exemption which would allow the daughter to work in The Bahamas although she was not a citizen and did not hold a work permit.