Having studied Law at the University of Surrey, I joined a firm in Surrey and qualified as a Solicitor in 2012. I initially worked as a Personal Injury Solicitor, dealing with a high volume of both litigious and non-litigious matters.
After a few years, I took the decision to change specialisms and undertake Private Client work, namely matters involving Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Estate Administration.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
I enjoy building a rapport with clients and find a great sense of satisfaction in helping them to achieve their objectives. I have always found a sense of fulfilment in helping others, and being able to provide clients with peace of mind, especially in the most trying of times, it is both a privilege and a pleasure.
What are your strength and skills?
I listen intently to my clients in order to provide them with the advice that is best suited to their needs. The prospect of making a Will or administering an Estate can be daunting, but I am able to break things down in order to make them more understandable. I pride myself in being able to provide my clients with clarity and transparency in order to simplify matters and achieve the desired outcome.
Outside of work
I enjoy spending my spare time with family and friends. I am a sports fanatic and enjoy attending live events, particularly live sport and concerts.
What attracted, and keeps you in this area of law?
After completing my law degree at Staffordshire University, I qualified as a solicitor in 1997. During my career I have worked in many areas of the law, criminal, family, litigation, and a short time in conveyancing. I never thought that I would end up in Private Client but now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I really enjoy meeting clients, getting to know them, and helping them.
I specialise in personal legal issues including the preparation of Wills and the administration of estates after someone has passed away. I love figuring out that facts and figures, making it simple for our clients to understand the processes.
I am also a member of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners. My Probate work ranges from giving relatives one-off advice to managing the whole matter through to the final distribution of very complex estates.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
What I like most about working in our Private Client department is that no two days are the same. Each client is different and each one’s circumstances are distinct. I love meeting new clients, helping them, and then getting to know them more over the years as they come back to change their Will, prepare Powers of Attorneys. And then meeting their children, who come in to do their own Wills.
It is such a diverse role.
What are your strengths and skills?
I am a good listener, compassionate, patient, and great at talking in plain English, helping clients to understand each step of their matter. I create comprehensive Wills for all sorts of situations including those that cover guardianship arrangements for children and Wills that cover complicated family structures.
Whilst mostly working from our East Grinstead office I regularly make home visits to clients who find it difficult to travel.
What would your colleagues say about you?
I think they would say that I’m approachable, helpful, always calm and gets on with the job. I think we all work well together as a team.
Outside of work
Outside work, I love to make the most of the beautiful Sussex countryside and enjoy long walks, and horse-riding. I also play netball in the East Grinstead netball league.
I am a paralegal in the Private Client team and have previously worked in the Residential Property Department.
I’ve achieved ILEX part 1
My main role is to provide support for our lawyers and assist in a range of Private Client matters including Lasting Powers of Attorneys, Wills and Probate and Estate Administration.
I am a strong team player who always strives to deliver an efficient and effective service to every client.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
I enjoy meeting clients and learning about their needs and finding ways to help them achieve their goals as smoothly and positively as possible.
My aim is to give a bespoke and friendly service to ensure the best possible outcome.
What are your strengths and skills?
I excel at being able to track down and obtain difficult information to enable a matter to proceed.
I am approachable and friendly, always ready to offer a listening ear and advice.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have project managed the self-build of my home. I enjoy long distance running and have completed the London Marathon twice.
What attracted, and keeps you in this area of law?
I began my legal career at a conveyancing company, which unfortunately just wasn’t for me. I came across an advert for a position in the probate department at MWB and, despite having no direct experience with the department, I got the job! I soon realised that helping people when they are most in need brings me a sense of fulfilment that helping people move to a new house just didn’t do. I have been extraordinarily lucky to work in such a fantastic department and I cannot see myself doing anything else.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Every workday begins with a cup of tea and, usually, a catch up with my colleagues. I will then spend some time in client meetings, as face to face contact is important in building a connection with my clients. Afterwards, I will review my files and reply to emails, whilst usually speaking to a few clients over the telephone to keep them up to date with progress. As the administration of an estate can take anywhere between 9 – 18 months, I do get to know my clients and it is always a pleasure to hear from them.
What are your strengths and skills?
I have been told that I am able to take a complex concept and break it down into easy-to-understand chunks. The law of Wills and Probate is somewhat complex and often rooted in terminology from the 19th century. I enjoy being able to translate this into plain English.
I am also MWB’s representative sitting on the Lewes and District Dementia Action Alliance committee. I am working to build up the profile of dementia friendly business in Lewes and looking to develop my links with the local community to provide a safe and supportive environment for clients living with dementia and their carers.
Tell me about a memorable time when you have helped a client.
I received a call from a client recently. After asking a quick question about her matter, we talked for 20 minutes. At the end of the call the client told me that she was feeling very lonely following the loss of her husband and that talking to me had really brightened her day. I was touched that she had thought of me and that I had made a difference. This is an example of what makes my job worthwhile.
Outside of work
I enjoy running with Lewes Athletics Club and bouldering indoors in Brighton. I also have two Yorkshire Terriers that keep me busy when I am at home!
What attracted you and keeps you in this area of law?
I have worked for MWB since 2008 having qualified as a solicitor in 1994 and I spent the years in between working in the personal tax department of various accountancy firms.
I moved into private client work to have more regular client contact and to be able to engage with a wider area of practice which includes drafting Wills and creating Lasting Powers of Attorney, to the administration of estates including the final tax and estate accounts.
As well as being a solicitor I am a Fellow of the Association of Taxation Technicians and I am a Full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I like helping others whether clients or colleagues and I take satisfaction from a job well done whether small or large. I also enjoy talking to people about why they might need a Will or LPA and I have done some local talks on these important matters.
What are your particular strengths and skills?
I am naturally organised, and I also enjoy puzzle solving and untying problems. I am good at maths and organising figures and one of my roles is to assist colleagues with the trickier estate accounts. My background in personal tax compliance also gives me a good basis to assist my clients and colleagues with aspects of income tax up to the date of death and during the administration of an estate.
Tell me about a memorable time when you have helped a client?
It is a privilege to talk in depth with our clients about their affairs or those of someone they have lost. When at the end of a client meeting a client says that it was OK and nowhere near as stressful or difficult as they though it would be, I feel a good sense of having helped someone.
What would your colleagues say about you?
That I am kind and gentle and a nice person to have around the office. That I am a good listener both to them and to my clients. And that I am good at accounts and tax and enjoy helping them out with these.
Outside work….
I love being with family and friends, my garden and running by the sea. I am also a self-supporting Church of England priest licenced to the Lewes and Seaford Deanery which means I could pop up in a church near you on a Sunday morning.
I am the Chichester Diocese Bishops Advisor on Self Supporting Ministry and I am also a member of the PCC of St Leonards and St Lukes Seaford, the Deanery Synod of Lewes and Seaford and Chichester Diocesan Synod.
I was introduced to the world of law when I joined a local firm as a receptionist in 2015. I have worked in the Private Client Department since 2016, 4 years of which were spent specialising in Estate Administration matters. In January 2022 I obtained a specialist Paralegal qualification in Wills, Probate and Administration with the University of Law, and I am currently studying towards my CILEX Professional Qualification.
What attracted, and keeps you in this area of law?
By nature, the work we do in the Private Client Department is highly personal and can arise from very difficult circumstances for our clients. I love being able to help see clients through these matters and to make the processes easier for them. The confidence our clients put in us is a great privilege and makes the work we do all that more rewarding. I have personal experience with Dementia and am a registered ‘Dementia Friend’ via The Alzheimer’s Society.
What are your strengths and skills?
I understand how important it is for our clients to have trust in us, and I always aim to build those trusting relationships based on empathy, transparency, and dedication. I pride myself on being organised, and I love a good spreadsheet!
What do you like to do outside of work?
In my spare time, I enjoy going to the gym, cooking, playing video games and keeping up with the football.
Jonathan qualified in 2003 and is a Partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter. He is a key person in the Private Client team and has been with us for over 15 years.
A specialist in private client work, Jonathan also has invaluable experience in residential conveyancing and contentious probate work.
Jonathan was born and raised in Sussex and is a recognised member of the Brighton and Eastbourne community. He is a member of various local bodies and enjoys cricket and eating out.
I started at MWB in 2021 as an LSA, I then became a Paralegal in the Private Client team in June 2022.
Before starting at MWB, I worked as a manager for B&B hotels where I discovered my passion for helping people and I knew I wanted to work directly with people.
I also studied law at University of Kent, which I enjoyed. So, when I saw the opportunity to join MWB as a LSA I saw it as a perfect chance to progress my legal career path.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
I love working with my team and meeting new clients every day. I’m often the first contact a client has to the firm, and I love to see the matter through to completion. It’s really satisfying to help people sort through their thoughts and needs into a working plan for their future!
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love to work on classic cars, I have just bought a Toyota MR2 1996, and she is beautiful! I also like to Ski and snowboard whenever I get the opportunity!
I have worked in the private client department for over 20 years.
I started as an office junior, went on to be a secretary, an assistant and then decided to qualify as a Legal Executive. When I started studying to become a Legal Executive I never thought that I would fall pregnant 6 months in, so I studied whilst raising my son, which was a challenge in itself!
I have recently (June 2023) qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive. I feel as though through working my way up I have learnt many different areas and aspects of the job.
I like that I am able to help and support people when they are going through an extremely difficult time and help to alleviate some of the pressures that this brings.
Outside of work, I like to go on walks and spend time with my family and friends.
What attracted, and keeps you in this area of law?
I always wanted to be a solicitor so after studying in London and Paris, I qualified in a small high street firm in Shoreham by Sea in 1999. There I had a taste of a number of different areas of law and financial advice. After qualifying, I worked in financial services in London for a while but found I missed the personal connection with my clients, so returned to law at Mayo Wynne Baxter in 2003. Writing a Will involves fully understanding what a client needs and preparing the right Will to suit them. Helping a grieving relative navigate the probate process, and share their burden is an immense privilege.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
It’s a cliché, but other than my colleagues, the best thing about my job is my clients. Every day is different. Dealing with the loss of a loved one or contemplating one’s own mortality is hard. To have a client say “that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be” is a lovely feeling. I am currently head of the department and am enjoying being able to help shape the future of the team and watching the more junior members progress. I work with a network of excellent financial and tax advisers and accountants to ensure that my clients get great all-round advice.
What are your particular strengths and skills?
Possibly strangely for a solicitor, I am good at maths and really enjoy preparing accounts, showing what funds have been received and paid out during the administration of an estate. I take time to talk with my clients to work out what they actually want, to create the right Will, Power of Attorney or even to decide to do nothing. I like solving problems and getting things done. And I especially enjoy saving my clients from paying unnecessary tax. When I decided to specialise in this area, I became a member of STEP, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners which is a worldwide organisation of experts in this area. I now sit on the Sussex STEP committee. I am very positive, and passionate about the importance to everyone to have a Will. I have done presentations in retirement and care homes, to charity supporters, to bank customers, and even to the WI to spread the word.
Tell me about a memorable time when you’ve helped a client
I hope I help all my clients, but some unusual situations do spring to mind.
- I remember one client who was in danger of losing her house when her partner died unexpectedly without a Will. We helped keep the family in their home.
- On a number of occasions, I have visited clients in hospital to prepare Wills, giving them peace to know their loved ones will be supported.
- One of my clients had over 100 individual shareholdings and certificates that we had to sort and sell.
- One of the most complex I have been involved with as a gentleman whose uncle died without a Will. His estate went to his sister, who sadly died shortly afterwards. The uncle had 2 businesses, several shareholdings, and 3 properties. At the same time, we are dealing with a claim that a fraudulent Will exists.
- Recently we helped a local client claim heritage asset relief against Inheritance Tax, saving an important painting for a local museum.
What would your colleagues say about you?
That I am straight talking. But I talk a lot. And I will always try and help the rest of the team.
Outside of work
I like to spend time with my family and I even try to cram in a good book when I have the time!