Paula Warburton

Biography

Paula took her law degree at Oxford University and qualified as a solicitor in 1988. She joined as a member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) while working in Manchester in 1994.

She moved to the North East in 1994, joining Merritts and becoming a partner in 1998. She left at the end of 2002 to spend some time with her children, returning to work at Thorp Parker in Stokesley at the start of 2008. Since then, she has been a partner at Newtons and Knights locally, but was delighted to return to Merritts as a partner at the start of 2026.

She has worked in the private client and property areas throughout her career, particularly specialising in tax planning and the creation, winding up and advising on trusts. She has extensive experience in estate planning, including agricultural and business property.

Paula deals with all aspects of non-contentious private client work, including will drafting, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection appointments and estate administration.