Here at WBW, we value every one of our team members. Each member of staff has their own stories, motivations and reasons why they enjoy working for WBW.
Today we talk to Amy Read, Partner in our Newton Abbot office.
What is your role at WBW and what area of law do you specialise in?
I am a Solicitor and Equity Partner in the Private Client Department. I specialise in inheritance disputes but also prepare wills and administer estates in a non-contentious setting.
What did you want to be when you were young?
A teacher.
What was your first full time job?
Pot washer in a restaurant.
What made you decide to practice private client law?
Any type of litigation is tough but disputes with close family members that involve the loss of a loved one have got to be amongst the most difficult to go through. My decision to specialise in this field was to try to assist people with addressing those issues in the least hostile way possible. Achieving their aims but hopefully without destruction to the family and the costs eroding the hard-earned estate of the person who has passed away.
What has been the best moment in your career?
I have many but a recent one would be successfully fighting to have the wishes of a gentleman with health problems upheld, when his voice was being lost due to assumptions over his mental capacity.
What are your top tips for client’s?
Make a Will with an experienced private client lawyer. People are tempted by homemade Wills as a means of saving money, but I am yet to see a homemade Will without some issue with it. Investing in a professionally drafted Will will save your estate thousands after you pass away.
What has been the most challenging part of your career?
The pandemic.
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your profession?
The glamour! It is definitely not like it appears in the movies!
What’s your favourite holiday destination?
Turkey in October when its quiet and not too warm.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
Precisely where I live. From coast to moor in 15 minutes, what more could you want.
An interesting fact about me is…
My sister works in the Bovey Tracey office. Emma Oakley. And yes, she is older than me, though no-one ever believes that.
Should you have a Private Client matter that you wish to discuss with Amy, please contact her by telephone on 01626 202336 or email amyread@wbw.co.uk.
WBW has offices in Torquay, Paignton, Newton Abbot, Exeter, Bovey Tracey, Exmouth, Honiton, Sidmouth, Launceston, Axminster, Chard and Seaton.
