Meet the North Devon Wills team.
Slee Blackwell Solicitors is one of the largest and longest established legal practices in the South West. We are recommended by the prestigious Legal 500, and have a network of offices across North Devon (Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Tiverton, and South Molton) as well as Exeter, and Taunton in Somerset.
We have a team of solicitors and lawyers who are specialists in preparing Wills. We also provide a full range of private client legal services, including the administration of estates, advising on care for the elderly, preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney, and submitting applications to the Court of Protection.
In addition, our team has extensive experience in the field of trusts and settlement, regularly advising clients on tax issues, including Inheritance Tax mitigation strategies.
Our North Devon Wills team is supported by a large contentious probate department based in Taunton dealing with inheritance disputes and contested Wills.
Our North Devon Wills team includes the following lawyers:
Steph Rodgers
Steph is a solicitor and partner in our private client team in North Devon. An Affiliate Member of STEP, Steph deals exclusively with estate administration, Will drafting, powers of attorney, deputyship applications, deeds of variation, deeds of appointment, and advising on tax and trusts law.
Vanessa Swales
Vanessa grew up in North Devon where she attended Park School and North Devon College. She qualified as a solicitor having completed her training with Slee Blackwell in both the Barnstaple and South Molton offices. Vanessa became a Dementia Friend in 2014 and is now based in our Braunton office where she specialises in all aspects of Private Client work, including Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Estate Administration and Court of Protection applications.
Holly Hampton
Holly is a Trusts and Estates Practitioner in our Private Client department, based at the firm’s Barnstaple office. She is a qualified tax practitioner, as well as being a full member of STEP, the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners. She deals exclusively with estate administration and trusts, with a specific focus on tax. Holly also deals with deeds of variation and deeds of appointment.
Sarah Nicholls
Sarah works in our probate department in Barnstaple. She has completed her Chartered Legal Executive Level 6 Certificate in Private Client Practice which incorporated the Practice of Law for the Care of the Elderly Client. She specialises in drafting Wills, and administering estates, as well as advising on Powers of Attorney, deputyship applications, tax planning, care planning, and trusts.
Sophie Styles
Sophie Styles prepares Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and administers estates. Sophie also specialises in NHS Continuing Healthcare claims, dealing with retrospective claims and appeals to enable those with primary health needs to obtain the funding that they require.
Zoe Nicholson
Zoe is a Wills and probate paralegal who joined the firm in 2016. She is based at our Barnstaple and Bideford offices and specialises in drafting Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Erin Thorne
Erin is from North Devon and is based at our Bideford office. She joined Slee Blackwell Solicitors in July 2005, becoming a Chartered Legal Executive in 2013. She previously worked in our conveyancing department, before making the move to our private client team. Erin’s property law background is a major benefit when preparing wills and powers of attorney. Erin also provides in-house services connected to the transfer of property when administering an estate. This enables her to provide an integrated service to clients at a time when they are most likely to need and appreciate continuity of support. Erin tries to make sure she is indoors as little as possible when she isn’t working. She likes to be active and spend time by the coast or in the North Devon countryside.
