I am a Partner within the Private Client team and I have been with MWB since 1998.
I work mainly in the Seaford office and also from home and I specialise in elderly client affairs and probate matters.
What attracted, and keeps you in this area of law?
I love that there is a sequence of events to do it, with a few bumps to work out to keep it interesting. I love helping people during a difficult time, sorting through the emotions for them and making it all manageable and hopefully easier to deal with.
In addition to managing my own probate and elderly client matters, I also happily assist my colleagues in the preparation of Tax Returns and Estate Accounts. I have a background in complex Deputyship work, managing the finances and investments of both brain damaged minors and elderly clients.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
My personal favourite thing to do is training the junior trainees, I like meeting new people and helping them develop their skills and put them into action.
Before becoming a qualified fee earner for Mayo Wynne Baxter, I was a legal secretary within the firm’s private client team for five invaluable years. I know all the processes from different role perspectives, which helps me give the trainees a more rounded understanding of each stage and how the team connects and works best together.
I’m now a Chartered Legal Executive and have achieved a Professional Diploma in Law and a Professional Higher Diploma in Probate Law & Practice, Equity & Trust Law and Family Law. This wide spectrum of department knowledge is helpful when training juniors.
What are your strengths and skills?
I am dedicated to building strong and trusting relationships with all my clients, particularly when working with the elderly. I also like to have the same trust with my colleagues.
I am committed to the firm and I am an active member of the Staff Engagement Committee and the Social Committee.
What would your colleagues say about you?
They would say that I am super organised.
They would also say that I am the “unofficial support welfare officer” in our office – when we are in the office!
I have a chair in my office, that anyone can come and sit in and have a moan, talk through an issue or just have a cup of tea and a chat.
Outside of work
I have two young boys that keep me very busy and I’m a member of the PTA at their Primary School.
My hobbies are visiting National Trust properties and cooking.
Rebecca is a Partner in our Private Client team, she qualified at a Brighton firm in 2005 and is now based in our Storrington office.
As a Sussex native with a deep-rooted understanding of the South Downs and its local economy, Rebecca brings a unique perspective to her work with rural clients. Her extensive knowledge, combined with her professional experience, makes her an invaluable asset to our clients.
Rebecca’s qualifications and experience in private client work, including Wills, Probate, LPAs, succession planning, and Declarations of Trust, position her well to address the specific needs of rural clients. Her involvement in the Association of Lifetime Lawyers (formerly SFE) demonstrates her commitment to providing exceptional legal services.
Why Rebecca is Ideal for Rural Clients:
- Local Knowledge: Rebecca’s familiarity with the South Downs and its rural communities allows her to understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by land owners, farmers, and related businesses.
- Strong Network: Her local connections with land owners, agents, and farming business accountants can facilitate collaborations and provide valuable insights into the rural landscape.
- Tailored Solutions: Rebecca’s expertise in private client work enables her to offer tailored solutions that address the specific needs and goals of rural clients, such as estate planning, succession, and asset protection.
By combining her local knowledge, professional experience, and strong network, Rebecca is well-equipped to provide exceptional legal services to rural clients in the Western region of MWB.
She is a committee member of the Steyning & District Business Chamber.
Outside of work, Rebecca volunteers regularly with HomeStart.
She is married to a Royal Navy Officer and has two children, three cats and a tortoise!
At weekends Rebecca can be found stomping around National Trust grounds or the South Downs and indulging in her love of good food.
Matt qualified at a regional firm in the South West in 2010 before relocating to Birmingham to start his legal career. Shortly after relocating, Matt joined what was Shakespeares and later Shakespeare Martineau (another firm within the AMPA legal and professional services group). Matt worked in the firm’s Birmingham and Solihull offices before moving to head up the Private Client team in their Milton Keynes office as a Legal Director where he stayed until 2022 at which point Matt moved to Sussex and joined Mayo Wynne Baxter as a partner.
Matt is a full member of STEP, an accredited member of The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (formally SFE) and has passed the STEP diploma in advanced Will preparation with Distinction. Matt was also named as Associate to Watch in the Chambers 2022 High Net Worth rankings and ranked as Up and Coming partner in Chamber 2023 High Net Worth ranking!
Matt enjoys helping all types of clients in negotiating the pitfalls of estate planning and estate/trust administration including Will preparation, Lasting Powers of Attorney and IHT planning. Matt has a particular interest in working with clients from within the LGBTQ+ community, offering an open and non-judgemental path to the services they need.
Outside of work Matt enjoys going to the theatre and has seen almost 70 shows in the West End and on tour. He is also kept busy looking after his Husky on long walks as well as visits to the many local vineyards in and around Sussex. He also enjoys swimming and DIY.
High Net Worth Guide 2023 – ranked Up and Coming : Private Wealth Law
High Net Worth Guide 2024 – ranked Up and Coming : Private Wealth Law
Matt Parr is a well-regarded partner based in Mayo Wynne Baxter’s Crawley office and advises on estate planning and administration matters.
Strengths
“Matthew Parr was professional, prompt and able to come back to me with answers almost immediately to achieve the best outcomes.”
“Matthew has always been approachable and very professional. He is always willing to answer any questions and come back with a solution.”
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.
Jessica qualified in 2007 and specialises in private client law, more specifically trust creation and structuring, succession planning and capital taxation.
She is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners which is the most comprehensive qualification in the trusts and estates field and enhances her ability to give holistic advice to clients as a trusted advisor.
Before joining the firm Jessica was head of the private client department of a West Sussex law firm, having worked previously in the City and training with a regional firm known for dealing with landed estates and Sunday Times Rich List clients.
She regularly advises a variety of high net worth clients on trusts and complex tax planning solutions, whilst putting clients at ease by making the meetings congenial and friendly.
Outside of work Jessica loves spending time with her family and, when she has the opportunity, having a good gallop over the downs on her horse.
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.
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!