The Wills Probate Trusts and Tax Team

The Head of the Private Client Department is Mike Cox. Mike served his articles at Batcheldors in Bedford immediately after leaving the College of Law and qualified in 1978. He became a partner in 1981. Batcheldors merged with Gareth Woodfine & Partners in April 1998 to form Woodfine Batcheldors which has now after further mergers become Woodfines LLP. The team at Bedford consists of: Mike Cox, Nigel Ashton, David Walker, Hannah Furr, David Walker and Ivone Joaquim. 

Mike Cox has always dealt with non contentious work across a broad range i.e. Wills, Probate, Trusts and all types of legal work relating to elderly Clients and is locally renowned for his speed and efficiency in dealing with Probate matters.

Nigel Ashton is a Partner and deals with complex wills and trusts and advises on inheritance tax planning for high net worth clients. He is a Panel Deputy of the Court of Protection, a member of Solicitors for the Elderly, advises on mental capacity issues and regularly speaks at seminars organised by Charities (Alzheimers Society and Mencap) and other professions which makes him the ideal Partner to be responsible for the training needs of the department. Nigel also advises clients in conjunction with the firm’s commercial property department on trusts involving agricultural land. 

Hannah Furr is a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and joined the firm in 2002. She handles Probate, Wills and elderly client affairs such as Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection matters and is fast building her client base by personal recommendations.

David Walker has a background in accountancy and he has worked in that field for over twenty years. He joined the firm in 2004 and became a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives qualifying in 2009 and has extensive taxation experience which he uses to assist the Bedford team. He is also an affiliated member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners [STEP].

Ivone Joaquim joined the team in 2010, after qualifying as a Paralegal in 2009.

The team at our Sandy Office consists of: Ashley Salter and Lynda Galler.

Ashley Salter is in charge of our Private Client Department at Sandy. He started as a trainee with Gareth Woodfine and Partners in 1988 and has in the past run offices of the firm in both Sandy and Biggleswade, building his reputation locally. Ashley has been an equity partner since 1998. Ashley specialises in the areas of Probate and Planning for Retirement covering Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Livings Wills and Care Fees as well as dealing with all cases for the firm in the growing area of Equity Release. He is also in charge of the internal and external marketing of the department.

Lynda Galler holds Institute of Legal Executives Diplomas in Probate and Succession and has worked in the area of Probate and Wills for many years.

In July 2008 Woodfines merged with a long established firm in Cambridge, Matthews Winter & Bullock. This gives the firm an exciting platform to grow and develop its services in and around the city.

Alun Butler was a former equity Partner at Taylor Vinters where he was head of the private client team for 7 years and had developed a national reputation as a Lecturer and Trust Lawyer. He joined Woodfines in May 2009 to head the Cambridge Wills and Probate department. Alun specialises in Trust, Tax Planning and Charity Law and is a member of STEP and the Charity Law Association.

James Marsh, also based at the Cambridge office, qualified as a solicitor with the firm in 2008. He has chosen to specialise in private client work, and shows a great ability for all work in this field.