60-second interview: Paula Myers

Why did you join Irwin Mitchell?

I had worked with two of the partners of the Irwin Mitchell team previously on cases and found them to be impressive and easy to deal with. I liked the progressive attitude of the firm and the fact that they have a clear strategy for future development.

The opportunity of developing my contentious probate work from a national platform was too good an opportunity to say no to.

What are the priorities of your new role?

Clients are my immediate priority. That extends to new Irwin Mitchell clients and the clients that followed me to the firm, ensuring that their needs are met and that they feel comfortable in the new environment.

My long-term priority is to develop the work to have a contentious probate team in more Irwin Mitchell offices, while maintaining our reputation. Irwin Mitchell is the largest private client firm in the UK and we have ambitions to grow even further. I'm excited to be a part of that.

What are your clients talking to you about at the moment?

Losing a loved one is hard enough on many levels - emotionally, practically and financially - but this difficult period can be particularly stressful when you or another party contests the will or estate. Clients are keen to discuss the options available to fund this type of litigation and we have a number of diverse and creative ways to help clients to fund cases so that everyone has access to justice.

The increase in the number of wills being disputed has been massive over the past five years and I am discussing frequently the high increase in claims brought against or between trustees and ways in which we can educate lay trustees about the personal risk and liability that they are taking on.

What trends are you following?

The trend and increase in claims brought that involve mental capacity issues. We discuss regularly with our clients, contacts and judiciary how our legal system can cope with such an increase in cases brought via the civil courts and via the Court of Protection.

There appears to be a ticking time bomb in relation to mental health issues and a real lack of knowledge among some professionals of how to deal with such complex matters.

Are alternative business structures the future of the legal industry?

We believe becoming an ABS was the right way forward for the future of Irwin Mitchell. We became the first multi-licensed ABS in 2012 and have since reported an annual income of over £200m for the first time. We have also been able to recruit a high number of specialist partners in both our business and personal legal services teams.

Being an ABS gives us more flexibility in how we seek to grow and to invest in the business to ensure we continue to deliver a great service to our clients every day.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned during your career?

Never underestimate your opponent and don't become embroiled in emotive and point-scoring correspondence as it helps no one, especially the clients.

Who's been your greatest mentor and why?

My late father, from whom I inherited my fighting spirit. He taught me never to be afraid and to treat everyone with respect. My husband, Iain, has also been an amazing confidante throughout my career.

Paula Myers is head of contentious probate at Irwin Mitchell

Jennifer Palmer-Violet is editor of Private Client Adviser