Meet the team
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Legally qualified staff to answer all questions or queries
Carrie Boughtwood
With over 10 years experience working as a Solicitor in the area of Wills, Trusts and Probate I feel I have gained the experience and knowledge to provide a friendly and professional service to my clients.
To enable me to increase my knowledge in these areas I became a member of the Society of Trusts & Estate Practitioners (STEP) and successfully completed my final examination in May 2015 to achieve the TEP qualification.
After leaving private practice I joined the Society of Will Writers and specialise in advising clients on Wills, Trusts, Probate and Tax Planning, as well as advising on Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection matters.
Our offices are based in Newark but we offer home appointments to clients throughout the East Midlands and Peterborough.
Jodie
My role at APT Legal is Estate Planner and Assistant to Carrie. My days can vary quite a lot. Some days are spent in the office helping Lindsey with admin, Zoom meetings with clients, some days I am out and about meeting with clients face-to-face to take their Will and LPA instructions or signing with them, and some days are a mix of both. No one day is the same, that’s why I love it so much.
Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney tend to be quite a daunting topic for most people, which is probably why most people tend to put it off. But we try to make it less so. I think I find the relief we give our clients, once they realise it wasn’t a painful experience is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. But most of all simply being able to help people. I’ve always wanted to help people, I just wasn’t sure how… Now I know.
Something that my colleagues might not know about me is that I used to be the lead singer for my secondary school swing band, and we went on a tour around Holland.
In my spare time I enjoy taking my two dogs (Letty and Mushroom) on adventures with my partner. I learnt to crochet a few years ago, so I try and make presents for people when I can. I like reading, so if you know any good fiction let me know! And I have recently taken up running. Can’t say I enjoy it all that much while doing it, but it’s worth it afterwards!
I appreciate working with Carrie and Lindsey so much. I appreciate how real and down to earth they are. We all get on so well and always have lots of laughs in the office (usually at my expense). Not only that, but I think we all appreciate that if either of us needs help, with something work related or in our personal life, they are both there to listen, there is never any judgment, and they always do what they can to help.
The thing that inspires me most in my role is Carrie. She has believed in me since the very beginning. From the moment I met her, she was so warm and friendly and it’s because of this that the success she has had in APT is second to none. She always works so hard and goes above and beyond to help people. Without her APT wouldn’t exist, and I wouldn’t have found my forever job.
APT Legal offers a very personable approach and this is what I believe sets us apart from other legal businesses. We like to create a friendly and relaxed environment. Because we are a small team, we all tend to get to know each client in some capacity, whether that’s over the phone, email, or even face-to-face. So, if they need to talk to us, they will know the person answering.
Deborah Wylie
Before becoming a Will Writer, I had a varied career, some of which helps me now to give a first-class service to my clients (did I mention that I won the Customer Care Award at the local business awards). I am a qualified Coach and NLP (neuro linguistic programming) Practitioner which helps me to help clients with the difficult conversations that they sometimes struggle with and get to the bottom of what they really want to achieve in planning their estates. I also spent some time in the end of life care sector as a Senior Carer, which has helped me to gain a really deep perspective on what is important and the stresses on families throughout this part of life.
I became an estate planner nearly five years ago and am qualified with the Society of Will Writers. I was delighted to be able to join Carrie’s team here at APT as it was Carrrie that I trusted with our Wills and Powers of Attorney nearly 10 years ago when she was getting established. It is great to be able to work with a local company, with a close knit team.
When I’m not writing Wills, I’m a keen member of Grantham Sunrise Rotary – helping local causes with fundraising and fixing things, I love cooking and our dog and pony keep me out in the fresh air. I’m also an ambassador for the Buddy Bag Foundation, helping the children of survivors of domestic abuse.
Lindsey
With no experience in the legal sector, I got a job working at a Solicitors as admin/legal assistant. I worked there for around 1 ½ years just before COVID struck. Although didn’t like the corporate feel of the place, I really enjoyed the work. When I saw the job at APT advertised, I nearly didn’t apply as I assumed all Solicitors would be the same – I was wrong! As soon as I met Carrie and she told me about her company, I knew it was the right role for me – the work I love with the right atmosphere, one that is friendly and relaxed without compromising professionalism.
My favourite books are the Dark Tower series by Stephen King because I really cared about the characters, and they are the only books that have ever made me cry.
I appreciate working with Carrie and Jodie because they are both the most caring, helpful people I have met and they very quickly became friends instead of just colleagues, plus Jodie is quite clumsy and makes me laugh lol!
I am lucky to be able to maintain a good work-life balance, mostly thanks to working here at APT. Carrie allows us to be flexible with our working hours, enabling me to pop out to my son’s school as and when I need to for meetings and awards assemblies. I can also work from home when I need to.
What sets APT apart from others is the friendly, relaxed service we offer our clients. Many of our clients have become friends and Carrie and Jodie often visit them for a coffee and a catch-up We also offer out of hours appointments if needed.
Although I do not have any ‘official’ courses or certifications planned, I do like to try and keep myself informed by doing online courses in different areas of Wills and LPAs, so I can better help our clients if they have any questions.
Some of my favourite quotes are by Winston Churchill, so I would have to say him. I bet he would have a lot of interesting stories to tell.
Lisa
I’ve always worked in retail or hospitality, my latest role was in ASDA for 13 years. Although I enjoyed my time there I was ready for a change . when I heard about the role at APT legal I jumped at the chance after hearing what a wonderful place it is to work and I wasn’t disappointed. It helps that I get to work with my best friend, Lindsey!
My favourite films are the same as my favourite books, I’m a secret geek and love all things Harry Potter. I love the incredible bond the friends have through thick and thin.
I really appreciate the openness of my colleagues. Everyday we’re all learning something new and sometimes mistakes are made but there is no judgment just support to keep moving forward. Although the job we do is very serious the girls all still find time to laugh and make the day really enjoyable.
The whole APT legal team is a massive inspiration. Carrie, Lindsey and Jodie are all wonderful women who have worked hard to build a successful business with a positive and warm environment.
This is the best job I’ve had for a work life balance. As a single mum to a 5 year old this is very important for me. Carrie is very understanding and flexible and allows us to work from home or move shifts around, its very refreshing.
I would love to have dinner with Princess Diana, I think she was such a good role model. All through her life she kept pushing boundaries and stood up for what she believed in. I especially loved when she joined in on the sports day race when she was told not too!
