Meet the Team: Private Clients

Qualifications; LLB ( Hons ) University of Bristol. Admitted a Solicitor July 1968

Member of the Law Society's Probate Section since its inception

Experience: Specialised in Probate, Wills,Trusts,Court of Protection & Powers of Attorney work since 1984 including administration of complex estates, administration of trusts., dealing with income tax capital gains & Inheritance Tax for private clients, estates & trusts.

Deborah Adams is the Director in charge of the Private Client Department and has been with the company since 1989.

She deals with Probate Administration, Wills and Financial Adminstration for elderly clients.

Deborah has a BTEC National Diploma in Business Studies and Finance and has been a Probate Executive since 1997.  Deborah has since starting at Parnalls always worked in the Private Client Department and therefore, has a great deal of experience and knowledge in this area of law. 

John Parnall retired from the firm during 2000 and is now a part-time consultant. He has been with Parnalls Solicitors since 1948 and has a huge wealth of local knowledge that is of invaluable use in advising successive generations of local families.

Lesley Austen is a Consultant.  Her qualifications are LLB (Hons) Wales and she was admitted as a Solicitor in March 1984.  Lesley is a Member of the Society for Trust and Estate Practitioners and also of Solicitors for the Elderly.  She has many years of experience specialising in Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Probate, Court of Protection and Powers of Attorney both as a Practitioner and Lecturer on the Legal Practice Course at Exeter University (recently transferred to Plymouth University).

Marie Wonnacott is a Junior Fee Earner in the Private Client Department, and is involved in all areas of the Department's work.  She has been employed with Parnalls since May 2003. 

Samantha Palmer joined the Firm in September 2004 as Office Administrator and has since gone on to progress to a member of the Private Client Department as Senior Assistant to Lesley Austen and Ann Bogle mainly dealing with Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Probate and elderly client work. 

Having recently moved to Launceston, Shelagh joined Parnalls in 2009 and assists Ann Bogle in the Private Client Department.  

Shelagh has many years of Legal Experience and qualified as a Member of the Institute of Legal Executives in 1998.