“I was the first person in my family to go to university, and I worked four jobs to get through law school. It was a hard slog but worth it in the end. I feel lucky to say that I love my job.
The dispute cases I work on are complicated and often need some serious unpicking. It’s rewarding to support people through my skills, especially when they most need it - that’s what I enjoy about being a lawyer.
I recently represented two brothers who were in a dispute over 50 acres of farmland they’d been promised by the farm owner, who was a family friend. It ended with them winning in the High Court in April 2020. They were deserving of it - they’d worked hard on that land for years.
The farm owner died without a Will being located, but he’d promised the brothers that they’d inherit some of the land and buildings after his death. He was estranged from his daughter, but they had reconciled and so he’d then said she could have the farmhouse that sat on the land.
Without this being spelled out in a Will though, that arrangement wasn’t formally agreed, and the whole estate automatically passed to his daughter under the intestacy rules.
One of the brothers had worked on the farm for more than 20 years, and the other had built his home there. So this land meant everything to them.
The case was made more difficult because the opponents were adamant that they were right, and we’d exhausted attempts to settle outside of court.
When it did go to court, our clients and their witnesses gave evidence, and we supported them through that. They were incredible. The judgement was handed down just after the coronavirus lockdown, so the final hearing wasn’t in person.
We got the result the brothers wanted and protected what mattered to them – the land they had worked on for decades, their livelihoods and homes. The other side made two applications to appeal the judgment and the court of appeal finally dismissed that attempt in July 2020.
Recently, one of the brothers described the case as a very stressful and trying period in his life, both financially and emotionally. He was appreciative of the human way we handled his case, understanding the stress on him and his family, and he felt we were easy to work with and approachable, and that the whole team supported him. That kind of feedback from a client is really rewarding to hear.”
Matthew Wills, one of the brothers in this case, said of Paula and her team: "If I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing and would choose you and Irwin Mitchell again and would recommend you to anyone. You have gone above and beyond to win a personal battle for me and my family."
Paula is the National Head of our Will, Trust, and Estate Disputes team. She deals with all types of challenges to Wills and also handles claims for financial provision for spouses, cohabitees, children and maintained parties.
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