history_edu Wills, Probate & Estate Management

Naomi Gowan

Director

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Contact information

forward_to_inboxngowan@hewittandgilpin.co.uk

phone02890 573570

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Naomi qualified as a solicitor in 1997. After a few years working in two other city centre practices, Naomi joined Hewitt & Gilpin in May 2001 as a solicitor specialising in general private client work and employment law.

Since then Naomi has gained considerable experience dealing with all aspects of general private client work, namely domestic conveyancing (including work for developers acquiring sites for future housing development), probate, wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Controllerships.

Naomi also advises and represents clients in all kinds of employment law matters, both contentious and non-contentious.

Naomi became a partner with Hewitt & Gilpin in January 2006 and a Director when the practice incorporated in October 2009. Since May 2009 Naomi has also been responsible for the practice's office on the Holywood Road, East Belfast.

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Areas of expertise

Employment Law House Sales and Purchases Wills, Probate & Estate Management

Craig Russell

Director

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Contact information

forward_to_inboxcrussell@hewittandgilpin.co.uk

phone02890 271394

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After qualifying as a solicitor in 1997, Craig worked as a private client solicitor at Harrisons Solicitors, Chichester Street, Belfast, until joining Hewitt and Gilpin in September 2015. Craig became a director in the practice in 2020 and works in the practice’s Conveyancing and Private Client department.

Craig graduated from Jesus College, Oxford with a first class honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1993 which he followed with a Certificate in Academic Legal Studies (1995) and subsequently, was awarded his professional qualification in 1997, both from Queens University, Belfast, where he finished as the top student in his year.

Craig has over 25 years’ experience in all aspects of property work in Northern Ireland including residential sales, purchases and mortgages. He also has substantial experience in the acquisition of sites for property development for both private sector and housing association purposes, and in the sale of units in new developments.

Craig has wide experience of drafting wills and advises clients on inheritance tax and the preservation of assets, obtaining probate and administering estates, and dealing with enduring powers of attorney and controllership orders. Craig has acted for charitable bodies including in changes of trustees. He is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

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Areas of expertise

House Sales and Purchases Wills, Probate & Estate Management

Avril Browne

Director

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Contact information

forward_to_inboxabrowne@hewittandgilpin.co.uk

phone02890 573572

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Avril graduated with an Honours degree in Law in 2003 and joined Hewitt & Gilpin as an apprentice later that year. She was awarded her professional qualification with distinction by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies of Queens University and joined the practice as a solicitor in 2005, and became a Director in 2023.

She has wide experience in all residential property matters in acting for private clients, developers and investors. She is also a part-time course tutor on the Conveyancing and Professional Skills courses run for trainee solicitors by the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.

Avril also advises clients in drafting wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney and other related matters. She also deals with the registration of Enduring Powers of Attorney, and in making Controllership applications to the Office of Care and Protection of the High Court.

She has also acted for clients in divorce and family proceedings matters.

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Areas of expertise

Family & Matrimonial Law House Sales and Purchases Wills, Probate & Estate Management

Heidi Doogan

Senior Associate

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Contact information

forward_to_inboxhdoogan@hewittandgilpin.co.uk

phone02890 573576

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Heidi Doogan joined Hewitt & Gilpin as a solicitor in 2006. She assists clients in making their wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, administration of estates, house sales and purchases, and court applications where a person has lost their mental capacity to deal with their financial affairs. Heidi is experienced in non-contentious private client work, which includes advising on lifetime and estate planning, and is particularly interested in issues affecting the elderly.

Heidi is a member of the Law Society’s Elder Law Group and regularly attends events of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.

Heidi has worked as a solicitor in Belfast from her admission as a Solicitor in Northern Ireland in 2004. Heidi has Honours degrees in Law from The Queen’s University Belfast and in Geography from the University of Wales, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from The College of Law, Guildford. Heidi was admitted as a solicitor in England in 2002 and worked in a bilingual French-English firm in her home town of Tunbridge Wells.

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Areas of expertise

House Sales and Purchases Wills, Probate & Estate Management

Derek Lawther

Senior Associate

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Contact information

forward_to_inboxdlawther@hewittandgilpin.co.uk

phone02890 573575

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Derek graduated from Queen's University, Belfast in 1991 with an Honours degree in Law. He qualified as a solicitor in 1993 and joined Hewitt & Gilpin in 2004 after spending eleven years with another city centre firm gaining experience in a wide range of areas of legal practice.

He is based in the practice's Conveyancing and Private Client department and specialises in a full range of private client matters including acting on behalf of a range of clients in the sale, purchase and mortgage of all forms of property, providing advice to churches and other charitable organisations regarding the effect of charity legislation, acting in the administration of estates, providing advice on all aspects of the drafting and subsequent implementation of wills, advising on the nature and effect of enduring powers of attorney and registering such documents and making controllership and other applications to the Office of Care and Protection.

Derek is currently a legal member of the Solicitors' Disciplinary Tribunal following appointment in 2015 and a part-time tutor at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies.

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Areas of expertise

Charity Law House Sales and Purchases Wills, Probate & Estate Management

Mark Kelly

Associate

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Contact information

forward_to_inboxmkelly@hewittandgilpin.co.uk

phone02890 573573

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Mark studied at Ulster University and graduated with an Honours degree in Law. Following work in both the legal and charitable sectors, Mark joined Hewitt & Gilpin in 2021.

Mark works in the practice's Conveyancing and Private Client department. He has experience in non-contentious private client work including probate and the administration of estates, drafting Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and in making applications to the Office of Care and Protection to register Enduring Powers of Attorney. He also advises in estate planning for individuals.

Mark mainly acts for individuals in the purchase and sale of houses and apartments, remortgages, ground rent purchases, and in title rectification matters but has also taken instructions from charities in the drafting of updated trust deeds and registration of new Trustee members.

Whilst primarily working in the Conveyancing and Private Client department, Mark also has experience in litigation, acting for clients in related matters including land and boundary disputes, as well as in contentious Probate matters.

Mark is also qualified to practice in England and Wales.

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Areas of expertise

House Sales and Purchases Wills, Probate & Estate Management