Jemma Land

Jemma joined Aaron and Partners in August 2022 as an Associate Solicitor within the Contested Wills, Trusts and Estates Team.

Jemma acts for a wide range of clients involved in trust and probate disputes including the following:

• Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) 1975 Act.
• Proprietary estoppel claims (claims to enforce broken promises).
• Claims against a deceased’s estate, including challenges or defences to the validity of wills and estate administration disputes.
• Advising trustees and beneficiaries in relation to trust related disputes, breaches of trust, claims pursuant to the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 as well as applications to the court for directions.
• Equitable claims, including resulting and constructive trust claims.

Jemma has a background in general litigation and can use this experience to represent clients on other ancillary issues such as property and contract disputes, partnership disputes and professional negligence claims involving estates.

Examples of cases in which Jemma has been involved in include:

• Assisting a client with a claim based on proprietary estoppel in respect of a business enterprise and trust assets believed to be worth up to 280million and involving assets in another jurisdiction.
• Successfully defending claims at the High Court for removal of her clients as executors.
• Successfully assisting a client to bring a partnership claim which concluded at a final hearing in the High Court.
• Successfully settling a claim at a joint settlement meeting for a farmer’s son enforcing a broken promise that he would inherit the farm when his parents died. Jemma secured her client a six-figure settlement and a percentage interest in the farm.
• Assisting an executor with a Court application to approve proceedings for an order for sale of estate property.
• Assisting a beneficiary of an estate comprising of a farm with complex partnership issues and agricultural tenancy issues and successfully settling for the transfer of the farm for much less than market value.
• Assisting a client whose husband died during ongoing divorce proceedings and settlement discussions regarding jointly owned property.
• Assisting a carer bringing a claim for proprietary estoppel from the deceased’s estate.
• Assisting a client with a Court application for payment of a share of the estate into Court for a missing beneficiary.
• Assisting a client with a Court application for removal and replacement of trustees.
• Advising a trustee and beneficiary of a large estate with multiple properties regarding breach of trust claims against another trustee.
• Assisting in mediation defending a claim by a cohabitee of the deceased farmer under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents Act) 1975 and proprietary estoppel against his large farming estate.
• Assisting beneficiaries with defending a claim to overturn a will on the grounds of lack of testamentary capacity and fraudulent calumny.
• Assisting a client in relation to his brother’s estate including advice on seeking to overturn the will on grounds of lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval and assisting with arguments over jointly owned assets and farm boundary issues.

Jemma's approach

Her litigation experience has seen her settling claims for clients bringing and defending claims with and without the Court’s assistance. Jemma has successfully pursued claims in the High Court and has resolved matters successfully using various strategies including negotiating with the opponent, joint settlement meetings and mediation.

She prides herself on being friendly and accessible, and having a farming background, she is particularly interested in family farming disputes.

Jemma aims to identify her clients’ objectives at an early stage and to achieve those objectives as quickly and cost effectively as possible.

Having completed her diploma, she became an associate member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).

Jemma graduated from the University of Leeds with a 2:1 LLB (Honours) degree in Law. She then went on to study the Legal Practice Course at Chester College of Law where she obtained a Distinction.