Emma Wallbank

Emma started out in the legal world as a criminal legal secretary, which she found fascinating.  She then moved to a large legal firm in a new role training as a Legal Executive in the private client department with a senior Partner and head of Private Client. She completed her law degree and became CILEX qualified and admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Legal Executives in 2009.  In 2014 she started studying for The Society of Trust and Estate Administration (STEP) qualification so is also a fully qualified member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) which is a specialist qualification for practitioners qualified and experienced in advising on inheritance and succession planning. She has worked across the Midlands at various law firms gaining valuable experience dealing with complex estates and advising high net worth clients.

Emma joined BTTJ in July 2018. She advises on all aspects of Private Client work, but focuses on estate administration and complex probate applications, Wills, inheritance tax planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection work and trust administration. Clients often praise Emma for her empathetic approach and my ability to explain complex legal matters in a clear and non-legal language.  She likes to put clients at ease from the outset and offer the best possible support and guidance either when making Wills or dealing with estate administration. Emma is based out of our Warwick office and spends 100% of her working time dealing with Private Client matters.

Notable successes

• Experience of working on straight-forward estates and multi-million pounds estates with complex issues.  Emma particularly enjoys acting on estates with charity beneficiaries, making sure the estates are dealt with efficiently, achieving the best possible financial outcome for the charity and playing her part in supporting so many good causes. 

• Has dealt with some very complex Grant applications to the Probate Registry, proving Wills which on the face of it appear to be invalid.  She has persevered and located numerous beneficiaries after others have been defeated. 

• Emma particularly likes helping people in vulnerable situations, attending clients at hospices or in hospital.  She has a lot of experience dealing with unusual matters, such as attending clients in prison to take instructions. She has a hands on approach and have been known to sort through hoarders houses to locate documents and has even rescued a pigeon trapped behind a fireplace for an elderly client, whilst on a will signing home visit!

• Active Memberships: Full Member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, STEP qualified 2017 & member of The Warwickshire Law Society

• Professional Admissions: Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

• Postnominals: FCILEx. TEP

About Emma

My colleagues have been known to call me D.I. Wallbank.  I enjoy locating missing people, solving problems where others have reached a dead end, and carrying out any type of detective work.  I am fascinated by true crime documentaries.  My favourite TV viewing is ‘Cause of Death’ and ‘Forensics: The Real CSI’.  If I wasn’t a lawyer, I would have worked in forensics or in a mortuary!  

An interesting fact about me is I have Triplets!

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