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Overview
Emily is a Legal Director in the Litigation, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution team with over 10 years’ experience. She specialises in contentious trusts and probate, advising individuals, trustees and beneficiaries on complex and high-value private wealth disputes. Emily is ranked in Chambers.
Expertise
Emily specialises in:
- Contentious trusts and probate disputes
- Removal of trustees and applications for blessing trustee decisions
- Will validity disputes and inheritance challenges
- Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
- Acting for claimants and defendants in private wealth disputes
- UK litigation and dispute resolution
Reported Cases
- Acted in applications for the removal of trustees and approval of trustee decisions (anonymised)
- Advised clients in will validity challenges and inheritance disputes (anonymised)
- Represented both claimants and defendants in Inheritance Act 1975 claims for financial provision (anonymised)
Qualifications & Accreditations
Emily read History at Durham University and trained at Macfarlanes LLP, qualifying into their Dispute Resolution team in 2015. She joined Payne Hicks Beach in 2017 and was promoted to Senior Associate in 2020 before becoming Legal Director in 2026. Emily is a member of STEP, ConTrA and the London Solicitors Litigation Association, and holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes.
Awards & Accolades
- Chambers HNW 2026 ranks Emily Stoneham as an ‘Associate to Watch’ in Private Wealth Disputes (London (Firms)).
- Holds the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes.
- Ranked in the Legal 500 UK 2020 as a recommended lawyer specialising in contentious trusts and probate.
- Emily Stoneham is listed in the Spear’s Tax & Trust Adviser’s Index 2024 as a “Rising Star” Tax Lawyer.
- Chambers 2024 ranks Emily Stoneham as an ‘Associate to Watch’ in Private Wealth Disputes (London (Firms)).
- Ranked as a “Rising Star” in the Spear’s 500 2023 and the Spear’s Tax & Trusts Advisers Index 2022.
