Leading local law firm, Emmersons Solicitors, has invested in its growing Private Client team to support an increased request from clients for Wills, Probate, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Contested Estates.
The firm, which was founded in Sunderland by Jacqueline Emmerson in 1998, has recently welcomed Faye Whitfield-Sykes to support the Private Client team and Michael Robinson who leads Contested Probate matters.
Having recently won at the British Wills and Probate Awards, Emmersons has seen an increased number of enquiries relating to Wills, Probate, house clearances, Lasting Powers of Attorney and Disputed Estates. The appointment of Faye and Michael has ensured that clients can be supported, often at difficult and emotional times in their lives, by a dedicated team member from the beginning to end of their case.
Jacqueline Emmerson, who heads up the Newcastle Private Client team, commented on the recent expansion: “It has been a pleasure to welcome Faye to the department as a Paralegal. She has joined us from Northumbria University where she earned a First in her degree and we are so pleased with her enthusiasm so far.
“Having Michael Robinson on the team has meant that the firm can deal with the increasing number of Disputed Estates that we are receiving.
“We have noticed a significant increase in enquiries for our services over the past few months, which is a reflection of our hard work and good reputation in the region. We have welcomed clients from all over the North East, nationally and internationally.
“We often visit clients in hospital, their own home or care home and we can now offer this service to even more clients.”
Chief Executive, Michael Robinson, has also offered his expertise and is actively taking on Contested Estates clients together with Jacqueline Emmerson and Tracey Hammond, all of whom are over 30 years’ qualified. This is a very specialist area of Law. For clients who do not marry, they can face losing their home if their partner dies without a Will in place and they are not Joint Tenants of the property. This can be an extremely upsetting time for people. Michael’s extensive knowledge of Contested Estates has meant clients can remain in their homes, which has been greatly welcomed by those he has assisted and continues to assist.
Further investment in Personal Protective Equipment has also allowed the Private Client team to accept more Probate cases. Some homes have been empty for a number of months, or the deceased may have suffered with mental health difficulties which can lead to hoarding problems, and PPE allows the team to Clean and Clear homes, whilst ensuring they locate and store valuables, important documents and family heirlooms to give to the next of kin.
This is a key part of the Private Client team’s offering and something Jacqueline and the rest of the department feel strongly about.
“It is important for us to be safe in our clients’ homes whilst ensuring we undertake all relevant checks and searches. Sometimes a home has a large amount of belongings that have been left untouched for months, or even years, and it is vital that we can protect all of our staff.”
The Private Client department, which now numbers six full-time members of staff, are welcoming client enquiries from across the North East and beyond. Clients can be seen in their own homes, hospitals, by Teams or in either the Sunderland or Newcastle offices.
For more information, visit www.emmersons-solicitors.co.uk/ index.php or call 0191 284 6989.