Stephanie Rodgers TEP - Senior Associate Solicitor in EMG Solicitors' Wills, Trusts and Probate team.
What were your career ambitions growing up?
I didn’t really consider the idea of being a lawyer until I completed my work experience in a local law firm at 16. During that work experience, several solicitors advised me to do a degree which interested me, and not just a degree in law because I was interested in it as a career. That was some of the best advice I have been given; it led me to a degree at Edinburgh University and then to the College of Law in York, both of which I loved.
Tell us about your current role and what do you most enjoy?
I am a Senior Associate in the Wills, Trusts and Probate (WTP) team at EMG Solicitors, heading up the team in Gosforth. I advise on the full range of private client law matters including wills, estate planning, the administration of trusts and estates, as well as capacity issues such as powers of attorney and applications to the Court of Protection, and act for a wide variety of clients.
What I most enjoy about the work I do, is the amount of time I spend with clients, getting to know and building relationships with them and providing advice which can make a real difference to their lives. I feel privileged to be able to provide meaningful help and support at what can be a challenging and emotional time.
What is your proudest business achievement?
It is only two years since I joined EMG Solicitors, and in that time, there has been so much growth, both in terms of the size of our team and the number of clients we are providing a quality service to across the region. Last year, two of our fee earners completed their STEP qualifications which meant the whole WTP team across all our offices had the TEP accreditation. Since then, we have taken on two newly qualified solicitors, both of whom trained with the firm and had training seats with our team. It is always great when talented young lawyers choose to join WTP, as I know from my own experience what a rewarding area of law it can be, and it is a pleasure to help them develop and see the contribution they can make to our clients and the firm.
What changes do you see in your industry in the next decade?
Private client law is not a notoriously fast moving area, but I think that over the next 10 years there is likely to be a lot of change in this area and the law more generally, driven by increasingly digital lifestyles. The Law Commission has recently restarted a previous consultation focussing on the possibilities for electronic wills (which are not currently permitted by law). The Government has also confirmed it is committed to modernising Lasting Powers of Attorney and implementing a digital system for making and witnessing the documents.
What are you currently working on?
At any given time, I tend to be working on a number of files, covering a range of subject areas and for a variety of clients. At the moment I am advising several high net worth clients and their families in relation to their wills and estate planning, assisting them in ensuring that assets can be passed on to the next generation in the most tax efficient way possible, while also at an appropriate time and in a manner which provides protection for assets and those beneficiaries who are due to inherit. This also involves providing advice in relation to lifetime gifting and the potential for using lifetime trusts to pass on assets.
Tell us about the team you work with?
I work closely with the two other fee earners in EMG’s Gosforth WTP team, as well as with the wider WTP team in our offices in Durham, Penrith and Darlington – despite being geographically distant, there is a real feeling of being one team and it is a very supportive, enjoyable atmosphere to work in. Within the Gosforth office, I have worked with Associate, Emma Etherington, for many years, including in a previous firm and it has been wonderful to work with her and another former colleague, Samantha Edward, Head of WTP, again.
What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?
Don’t worry so much about everything! Worry is such a waste of time and energy that can be much better spent on other things, and I wish I had realised that sooner.
It sounds trite, but I also put a lot of value of kindness – I would tell myself my mum was right (isn’t she always?!) – it is nice to be important, but more important to be nice, as they say. At EMG we have five core values which we apply to our relationships with colleagues and clients, one of which is kindness.
How do you unwind outside of work?
There is not a lot of unwinding to be done with a three-year-old in the house, but when I get the opportunity, I love to catch up with friends over a glass of wine and try new restaurants. I also love to travel, and my husband and I can’t wait to take our daughter on some exciting adventures as she gets older.
Favourite book and boxset?
I don’t often re-read books, but I love the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman and I am currently reading The Book of Dust. The final instalment is expected to be published sometime this year and I’m really looking forward to it.
It’s hard to choose a favourite box set, but I recommend Schitt’s Creek to anyone looking for something to watch. It has everything; comedy, emotion and some very memorable characters!
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