Meet the Committee
I am Claire Miller, my company is called Langton Genealogy; a genealogical research company which I opened in 2010.
My role is working with Private Client and Court of Protection Teams, supporting them in locating beneficiaries or trustees and compiling family trees for intestacy matters or statutory wills. I love my work, every day is different; that is why I enjoy my job, so much. The Eureka moment makes it all worthwhile!
In 2022, Langton Genealogy was Highly Commended in the category of Best Probate Research Company at the National Paralegal Awards. At the 2023 National Paralegal Awards, I won the Best Probate Research Paralegal and Best Paralegal in the North & Midlands categories. I was also Highly Commended as Paralegal of the Year at the 2022 Modern Law Awards.
I am a Dementia Friend. I work closely with a colleague to regularly run Dementia Friends Session; I believe that it is of huge benefit to our sector and people living with dementia.
Wherever possible, I promote the paralegal sector, by advocating regulation. I was thrilled to be asked to be on the steering committee for the Institute of Paralegals, following their acquisition by CILEX. Langton Genealogy was the first Probate Research company to join BEST Foundation.
I am really looking forward to being part of the Women in Wills Committee 😊
Annam has extensive experience in the private client field. She has over 10 years experience advising clients on various Wills, Trusts and Probate disputes. She has been recognised in the Legal 500 as ‘Exceptional in dealing with complex disputes. Keen attention to detail and good knowledge of the law. Easy but confident manner with the clients, which encourages their trust’. Annam hosts regular Private Wealth Forums aimed at providing support to Will writers on the pitfalls of drafting Wills and Powers of Attorney and is also a member of ACTAPS and ConTrA.
Annam is passionate about supporting professional women as well as increasing diversity within the WIW group and is excited to work alongside the Chair and Committee members to achieve these objectives.
Dee has extensive experience in the probate and estate administration sector, having worked with solicitors, IFA’s, Will writers and other legal professionals across her career. She is passionate about using a collaborative approach to help professionals support their clients whilst also bringing awareness of key risk management solutions to the market. This ensures clients can identify any pain points and de-risk their processes when dealing with an estate or property transaction.
In her spare time Dee likes to be in nature, with dog walks and forest hikes taking top priority. She successfully completed a trek to Everest Base Camp in 2023 whilst driving her own fundraising campaign to support two incredible charities.
“I am highly motivated to get started as a committee member of Women in Wills, this is a privileged opportunity to continue to grow, and I’m excited to get to do that amongst such a supportive and collaborative group of women whilst supporting the goals of our new Chair. Looking forward to seeing what we curate across 2024 together!”
I am a solicitor and Trusts and Estates Practitioner. Since qualifying in 2009, I have specialised in Wills, Probate, Trusts, Tax and Court of Protection matters, and I am a Dementia Champion with Age UK, a member for Solicitors for the Elderly and also a member of STEP (The Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners).
My other work includes seminars, lecturing and training throughout the Country with institutions such as regional Law Societies and MBL Seminars Limited, as well as providing in house training on a number of subjects.
In addition, I also teach night classes at Rossett School Adult Learning in Harrogate, giving individuals and insight into how legal documents such as Lasting Powers of Attorney are drafted, as well as pitfalls and problems.
Over my career I have been highly commended twice in the Yorkshire Legal Awards, as well as receiving an award for second place in the Modern Law Awards 2016 in the category of “Rising Star” in England and Wales. HTF Legal has recently won an award in the Retirement Planning Awards as best Wills and Probate Solicitor in Yorkshire in 2022. I have recently been shortlisted for Managing Partner of the Year 2023 in the Yorkshire Legal Awards.
With a BA (hons) in Cultural Studies, Emma has over 27 years’ experience at senior client facing level, managing relationships with FTSE 100 firms, global data providers and professional services firms. For the past 10 years, she has worked extensively in the legal sector; in recent years within wills and probate, to provide Estatesearch’s award-winning legal service solutions to private client teams, estate planners and will writers.
Emma has regularly been part of the wills and probate industry round table discussions on knowledge and best practice, as well as giving guidance to probate and estate planning clients. She is also part of the highly successful Women In Wills group run by Today’s Media, the publishers of Today’s Wills and Probate, which Estatesearch sponsors and co-chairs.
Beth is Head of Marketing at Arken Legal, one of Women in Wills long-standing sponsors and provider of the industry’s leading estate planning software. For over 11 years she has been working with technology firms to help them scale their marketing, generate demand, position their brand, and grow their business.
As someone who has worked in a male dominated sector for her whole career, Beth is delighted to join Women in Wills and help facilitate important conversations, share wisdom, and support one another in any way she can.
Karen has over 25 years’ experience in the legal, property and mortgage market. She has co-founded several companies including Easier2move (sold to Simplify in 2010), Lawyer Checker and Today’s Media, previously known as Solve Legal.
During her time at Solve Legal Karen became very interested in the wills and probate sector and launched Today’s Wills and Probate, the British Wills and Probate awards and subsequently Women in Wills.
Today, Karen is today a co-founder and owner of Collaborative Conveyancing, a legal tech company which launched Enquiry Manager in March 2024 after 2 years in development.
Aalia joined Myerson in 2021 as an Associate Solicitor in the Private Client department.
Aalia graduated from the University of Leeds with a 2:1 LLB Hons Law Degree and completed her Legal Practice Course with BPP Professional Education with a Distinction.
She undertook her training contract at a regional firm and qualified as a solicitor in 2016. Aalia has experience of dealing with Wills, estate administration, Lasting Powers of Attorney and trusts.
Aalia is a fully qualified member of the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners (STEP) having completed the diploma in 2018. She is also a member of the Private Client Section with the Law Society. Aalia has been a member of Women in Wills since 2020.
Tara has more than 20 years’ experience as a solicitor practising in litigation. Over the years, she has successfully resolved hundreds of disputes relating to contentious probate matters including several high-profile trials. She specialises in will challenges and claims against Estate property and trusts. She has participated in numerous mediations for both multi-million-pound disputes and lower value, but equally important claims by claimants and defendants under the Inheritance Act. Tara has had many reported cases which have set legal precedents in this area of law. She heads up the contentious probate team at The Burnside Partnership, a boutique firm specialising in private client matters.
Tara is a full member of ACTAPS, is PDSL accredited and an IMI qualified mediator. This means she is able to act as mediator and specialises in contentious probate mediations.
She is a strong advocate for supporting women in business and has been a member of Women in Wills since its first meeting.
When not resolving contentious probate disputes Tara can generally be found running. She has competed in all six of the International World Marathon Majors as well as other local marathons, half-marathons, trail runs and ultra marathons including a 106km jaunt around the Isle of Wight.
Implementations & Customer Success Manager, Exizent
With over six years’ experience in the legal software industry, I’m passionate about helping people navigate the complexities of bereavement at Exizent. As an Implementations & Customer Success Manager, I lead a dedicated team focused on ensuring a smooth implementation of our software solutions and providing exceptional support to our users.
My extensive background in customer service operations within the legal software sector has equipped me with a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by legal professionals and accountants. This, combined with my expertise across various aspects of the industry, allows me to effectively guide our users through every stage, from initial support to comprehensive software implementation.
At Exizent, we believe that bereavement shouldn’t add unnecessary stress. We leverage technology to create a user-friendly platform that connects data, services, and the network of people involved in the probate and estate administration process. This streamlined approach ensures a smoother experience for everyone involved. My unwavering commitment is to empower our users to maximise the potential of Exizent’s software, so they can navigate these difficult situations efficiently and effectively.
Sarah Bolt is a Senior Associate and works in the Will, Trust, and Estate Disputes Team in the Bristol Office of Irwin Mitchell.
She has recently joined Irwin Mitchell and the Women in Wills Committee. She has previously worked in Freeths LLP, Hugh James, and has worked offshore in the British Virgin Islands. Sarah is over ten years qualified and experienced in dealing with high-value, complex, and cross-border trust, and estate disputes.
She also has a wealth of experience dealing with charities and on disputes arising in the Court of Protection.
Sarah is excited to have joined the Women in Wills Committee and to work to advance some important conversations, but also to put on events and focus on issues that impact members and/or if there are any particular interest in. If you want to reach out, discuss, or have any queries, please feel to do so: sarah.bolt@irwinmitchell.com
Outside of the law, Sarah is a keen sportswoman: she plays field hockey and has been taking part in triathlons for several years, though would describe her style as a plodder. She is keen to represent women (which are generally unrepresented in the sport). This year, Sarah is fundraising for Alzheimer’s Research and taking on the challenge to complete:
IRONMAN UK Fundraising 2024 – Alzheimer’s Research UK | Sarah Bolt (gofundraise.co.uk)
Head of Commercial, Today’s Media
Grace is a familiar face to Women in Wills, having joined Today’s Media five years ago as the Event Manager, where she played an instrumental role in its development on both an organisational and practical level. During Covid, she ensured that networking continued through an online forum, where the support and guidance of each other became even more important.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the growth and development of the Today’s Media publications, Grace was promoted to Head of Commercial in 2023. Her involvement with Women in Wills highlights her dedication to maintaining and enhancing the community’s support system, along with creating opportunities for women. As Head of Commercial, her responsibilities include monitoring industry trends through the publication and exploring new opportunities by working with other firms and suppliers in the industry.
If you’d like to know more about what we do at Today’s Wills and Probate, feel free to reach out to Grace. While on a call, you may even hear the bark of her loyal companion, Barney, the red fox Labrador – if you’re lucky!
