Wards Solicitors LLP

Jenny Pierce, Partner, is Head of the Wills, Probate and Mental Capacity team at Wards Solicitors and specialises in Will writing, probate, long term care planning, capital tax planning, elderly client law and trusts and law relating to mental capacity.In 2015 Jenny was appointed to the Office of the Public Guardian's prestigious Panel of Professional Deputies and is frequently appointed as a Professional Deputy for Property and Affairs, for vulnerable clients who lack capacity. She also has a STEP Advanced Certificate in Advising Vulnerable clients.

Rebecca Parkman

Rebecca Parkman, Partner, specialises in Wills and Probate, in particular the production of Lasting Powers of Attorney, complex and simple wills, more general estate planning and the administration of estates. Examples of her work include: Administration of estates, whether from beginning to end or an an ad hoc basis, including adding value by advising beneficiaries to consider their own estate planning, through deeds of variation, lifetime gifting or tax efficient investments, updating their own wills and ensuring that they have the protection of Lasting Powers of Attorney in place. Management of financial affairs for elderly and vulnerable clients as attorney or as deputy appointed by the Court of Protection. Preparation of Wills and Lasting Powers of attorney including tax planning advice and general advice to elderly clients

Helen Boyd, Partner, specialises in all areas of personal injury and medical negligence claims. In particular these include: Road traffic accident claims (including claims against the Motor Insurers Bureau when a third party is uninsured or untraced); Accidents at work; Product liability claims (including acting for a claimant who had swallowed shards of glass in a pie and acting for a claimant injured in a road traffic accident when a defective tyre burst); Medical negligence claims (including acting for a claimant injured during cosmetic surgery); Accidents caused by animals; Accidents abroad (including a claim by a holidaymaker injured by the broken surface of a swimming pool in Turkey); Claims against the police (including wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and assault); Assault claims (both civil claims against the assailant and claims against The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority); Claims against local authorities (where the local authority failed to protect someone as a child by removing them from the care of their parent/carer); Sexual abuse claims (including acting for victims of sexual abuse in claims against an individual, schools, church and/or local authority); Hairdressing claims (where a claimant’s hair has sustained significant damage from the application of chemicals to tint and/or perm it); Occupational stress and harassment claims (including acting for victims of bullying in the workplace); and Any claim where someone has suffered injury through the fault of another.

Ruth Coles, Partner, specialises in advising on matters relating to Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, estate administration, wealth preservation and advising elderly clients on preparing for the future. Particular areas of expertise include: Court of Protection matters, including health and welfare deputyship, financial deputyship, applications to the court as well as the appointment and removal of trustees. Wills and Powers of Attorney matters, for example tax planning, wealth preservation, funding care and looking after someone else’s affairs. Estate administration and Probate, for example advising on intestate estates, complex estates and trusts.

Elizabeth Fry is Partner and Head of the Disputes Team at Wards Solicitors and specialises in Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 disputes, Will, Trust and Probate Disputes and contentious Court of Protection Work.

Mary Harty, Partner, specialises in Wills & Probate, in particular the creation and administration of trusts, as well as the production of Lasting Powers of Attorney, complex and simple Wills and more general estate planning. Examples of her work include: Dealing with the administration of a number of trusts including more complex discretionary trusts – including arranging and noting trustee meetings and decisions, liaising with investment advisers, preparation of trust tax returns and accounts. Implementing systems to ensure that tax returns and trust reviews are undertaken regularly. Advising on and creating trusts in a number of different scenarios – eg, to hold personal injury awards received by clients of our PI department, preparation of declarations of trust relating to non-standard property transactions, creation of trusts to provide for children and grandchildren, and disabled or vulnerable beneficiaries. Advising on asset protection trusts and also spousal bypass trusts for pension benefits. Preparing trusts to hold court or negotiated settlements in contentious probate cases. Advising on Wills and trusts created by the other party in contentious probate cases.

Emma Kerry, Partner, specialises in Contentious Probate, including claims in relation to the validity of Wills, claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and claims to remove personal representatives.

Tom Scoffham, Partner, specialises in advising clients on Will drafting, probate and estate administration, trust creation and implementation, trust administration, capital tax planning, Court of Protection and Mental Capacity work including Deputyships, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Advance Directives.

Alison Underhill

Alison Underhill, Partner, specialises in all areas of accident and injury and medical negligence advice and has over 29 years’ experience of working in this field. Examples of this type of work include: Clinical negligence Claims for delays in diagnosing cancer – including a delay in referring a client with laryngeal cancer, resulting in their death; a case where there was a six-year delay in the diagnosis of a tumour in the leg, resulting in need for extensive surgery and chemotherapy (case ongoing – damages likely to be substantial). Failure to diagnose an Achilles tendon rupture in A&E, leading to a delay in surgery to repair the tendon and ongoing restrictions as well as the development of a chronic pain condition (successfully recovered damages of over £200,000). Failure to provide adequate antenatal care, resulting in trauma and development of post-natal depression. Birth injury claim involving failure to identify and repair a third degree tear, leading to permanent continence problems (recovered damages of £65,000). Bowel perforation in surgery, leading to death (recovered damages of £50,000). Claims for negligence in knee and hip replacement surgery. Other surgical errors, including failure to remove all metalwork and for post operative complications, such as infection. Prescription errors. Negligent treatment from GPs – failure to diagnose/refer. Claims for inadequate care in nursing homes. Personal Injury Claims for multiple injuries arising out of road accidents – including a case settled for £1.6 million and an injury case settled for £825,000. Injuries from accidents at work – including claims for slipping and tripping – one of which went to Court of Appeal and established a point of law concerning an employer’s duty of care under statutory regulations. Claims for significant injuries to hands/loss of fingers arising out of failure to guard dangerous machinery; back injuries/hernias caused by heavy lifting at work; injuries from falls when working at height such as scaffolding and ladders; physical and psychological injuries resulting from assaults at work. RTA fatal accident claims. RTA claims for whiplash injuries to neck and back. Claims for injuries caused by attacks by dogs. Injuries resulting from trips and slips, causing fractures/facial injuries and often involving the elderly. CICA (Crime Injuries Compensation Association) claims. MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) claims.

Ian Williamson is a partner in the firm’s disputes team, based in the Bristol City Centre office. Contentious Probate and Trusts Cases – example cases including: Acting for young children where their dead father’s estate had been concealed. This involved an alleged breach of trust and we were successful in securing a substantial payment from the executors and court approval for the sum. A case where a client had been told he had lost out under a life policy because it had been varied. We established that trusts law had not been complied with, that there was a breach of trust, and secured payment of the sums he should have received plus interest and costs. Acting in a large claim involving a £1million estate and where our client was not mentioned in the Will at all. A substantial settlement figure was agreed for the client from the Estate. Involvement in a Will dispute where the Will had not been correctly witnessed. We successfully recovered a substantial settlement for the client as a result. Acting for a client who had lost out under a Will, where we claimed the Will had been made under undue influence and the testator lacked the mental capacity to make a Will. This was settled upon transfer of the deceased’s house to the client Acting for a disinherited daughter with suspicions of undue influence against the deceased. We recovered a healthy settlement sum for her. Acting for executors in large farming family dispute over the Will, and resolving the matter without going to court.