WARDS - Key Persons

Alex Rossiter

al..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Associate
Solicitor
Associate Solicitor / Commercial Property

Alex specialises in Commercial Property. He has worked in Bristol since qualification and joined Wards in 2023. Alex deals with a wide range of non-contentious commercial property matters including: Acquisitions and disposals Landlord and tenant transactional work Asset management Secured lending Pension property Providing support in business sales and purchases. Qualifications and Experience Law degree 2008 Qualified as a Solicitor in 2012 Has specialised in Commercial Property since 2012 Supervised by Heather Jones Specialisms Commercial Property

Alison Bradley

al..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Partner, Head of Family & Divorce

Alison has over 25 years' experience in family law and particular expertise in financial provision following relationship breakdown. Alison provides clients with expert legal advice on all aspects of family law including:

Alison Mellor

al..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Partner

Alison deals with Will drafting, Administration of Estates, Court of Protection and Mental Capacity work including the application and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney, Deputyship Applications and Statutory Will Applications. Examples of Alison's work include: Advising clients of the different Will options and preparing Wills to meet their needs and circumstances Assisting clients with Grant of Probate applications and dealing with the full Estate administration Preparing a Statutory Will application where the client lacks capacity and has no Will in place. This involves liaising with family members, the Court and the Official Solicitor to agree a Will which is in the best interests of the client Assisting clients in the preparation of Deputyship Applications, including professional appointments Preparing Deputy Reports Dealing with the day to day management of Attorneyship and Deputyship files which involves working with family members, care homes, social services and various financial institutions. "Alison was very helpful & approachable. She was able to give us useful advice for now and the future. We would be very happy to deal with her again." Alison says: ‘Everyone is different and I understand the importance of listening and asking the right questions so that I can deliver the appropriate advice for my clients.' Qualifications and Experience

Alison Underhill

al..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Partner

Alison specialises in all areas of accident and injury and medical negligence advice and has over 29 years' experience of working in this field.

Amanda Love

am..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Secretary

Amelia Matthews

am..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Trainee Solicitor
Trainee Solicitor / Employment Law

Amelia is a trainee solicitor currently working in the firm's Employment Team and is due to qualify in July 2024. Amelia says: "I am an approachable person who is able to help make clients feel at ease during what can be a stressful period. I enjoy developing a friendly and professional relationship with clients so that they know that it is an actual person completing their work and not a robot behind a computer. I will always endeavour to further a matter for a client so that they know that Wards are always acting in their best interests." Qualifications and Experience LLB Law 2:1 University of Plymouth 2021 LLM LPC in Advanced Legal Practice at University of the West of England, Bristol 2023 Supervised by David Baynton Specialisms Employment Law for Businesses Employment Law

Amy Jones

am..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Associate
Solicitor

Amy specialises in family, divorce and relationship breakdown matters as well as issues concerning children and finances. Examples of her work include: Divorce and finances: Cases on behalf of both wives and husbands in cases where there are and are not minority children. These include cases with complex financial considerations including very valuable pensions, (particularly police pensions and arm forces pensions). Concluding matters both outside of court proceedings through negotiations and within court proceedings whilst keeping costs to a minimum. Children matters i.e. contact and residence disputes: Acting for the mother of a child where the father suffered a brain injury raising questions over his ability to care and protect the child. This case involved the Official Solicitor, due to the father lacking mental capacity to conduct his own case. Amy has also acted in other complex contact and residence disputes, on occasions working with guardians appointed to represent the best interests of the children. Domestic abuse injunctions: In a severe domestic abuse case Amy successfully obtained a Non-Molestation Order Injunction, protecting the client for an indefinite period of time, excluding the perpetrator from three counties. "Without doubt truly satisfied. Could not have wished for anyone else to represent me. Amy was a saint - fantastic." Amy said: "Mistakes can be costly. In financial cases you need specialist advice to ensure that you are getting a fair settlement. Where there are children and other parties involved legal advice is key to ensuring that everyone is adequately protected whether that is financially or in the physical sense of the word". Qualifications and Experience Law degree 2006 Qualified as a Solicitor in 2010 Family Law Advanced Accreditation with the Law Society Has specialised in Family Law cases since 2010 Supervised by Alison Bradley Specialisms Family & Divorce

Andrew Wareham

an..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Partner
Specialist

Andrew is a highly experienced specialist solicitor working across the areas of Wills, Probate and Mental Capacity as well as Trust Creation and Management. He also deals with estate administration. His expertise includes: Writing complex, tax efficient Wills to protect assets for family members and to maximise inheritance tax relief; Setting up Wills incorporating trusts with a number of important benefits including Inheritance Tax relief, providing for a spouse from a second marriage, ensuring an estate passes to the next generation after a spouse's death and reflecting unequal contributions to the deposit of a house purchase; Inheritance Tax planning - advising clients on how their current estate qualifies for certain reliefs, for example Business Property Relief, and how legitimate Inheritance Tax exemptions work and how to take advantage of them. "Thank you to Andrew for all the time, effort and informed common sense you provided. Above everything, it contributed to a significant reduction of panic attacks, hissy fits and throwing in of towels and our prospective buyer shares my relief and gratitude." Qualifications and Experience Law degree 1994 Qualified as a Solicitor in 2002 Full member of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) since 2007 Full member of Association of Lifetime Lawyers (previously Solicitors for the Elderly) since 2009 Has specialised in Wills, Trusts and Estate planning since 2001 Supervised by Jenny Pierce. Specialisms Probate Wills & Mental Capacity

Angela Collins

an..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Secretary

Angela Downton

an..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Secretary

Anna Harrison

an..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Partner CILEX
Partner CILEX / Buying & Selling Property

Anna deals with: Freehold and leasehold sale and purchase Transfers of Equity relating to spouse transfers, relationship breakdown, divorce or death Remortgages, Help to Buy, New Build, First Registrations and Unregistered Land. Auction /BTL properties Anna says: "Clients tell me I offer a friendly and approachable service, setting out clear legal advice and dealing with their matter in a swift and timely manner." Qualifications and Experience Qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive in 2007 Specialised in residential property since 2007 Specialisms Buying and Selling Property

Beth Cudmore

be..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Associate
Solicitor

Beth is an experienced specialist solicitor, with over 15 years experience working in private client departments. Examples of Beth's work and expertise include: Will drafting, including complex Wills taking into account tax planning and succession planning Preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney Estate administration Inheritance tax planning Preparation of Deeds of Variation and standard trust documentation Beth says "I enjoy getting to know my clients and understanding what they need. I am able to explain complex issues in a way that they understand so that they feel reassured and supported. I hope that I am easy to talk to, and make sure that I am responsive to clients, as I know that instructing a solicitor can be a stressful process for some. I have acquired a lot of technical experience during my career to date, and I enjoy using that in more complicated matters, to provide a service to the clients that really benefits them." Supervised by: Laura Jakeways Specialisms Probate Wills & Mental Capacity

Beth Robinson

be..@wards.uk.com

Job Titles:

Associate
Solicitor

Will drafting, Inheritance Tax and Long Term Care planning, Administration of Estates, Court of Protection and Mental Capacity work including the application and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney, registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney and Applications to appoint Financial Deputies. Legal 500 2019 Wards Solicitors is recommended for Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate for providing ‘service levels of a very high standard' and Beth is listed as ‘a name to note'. "We found Beth to be extremely approachable. We received a very fast, efficient and friendly service from her. She explained everything in a very clear manner and we would have no hesitation in using her in the future. We would also recommend her to others requiring a similar service."

Bo Yee Fan

Job Titles:

Associate
Solicitor
Associate Solicitor / Commercial Property

Examples of Bo Yee's work and expertise include: Disposal and acquisitions Landlord and tenant transactions Company and commercial property support Property financing Mixed use property projects Bo Yee says "I am able to put clients at ease, during what can often be a difficult and daunting time. I am able to explain difficult legal issues in a jargon free way, helping clients understand the complexities of the law" Qualifications and Experience LLP (Hons) Legal Practice Course (LPC) PG Dip Qualified as a Solicitor in 2016 Supervised by: Heather Jones Specialisms Commercial Property