Periodically, we hear stories from the people providing legal services at 145-year-old, South Yorkshire-based law firm, Banner Jones. Most recently, we spoke to Jake Coy, Probate Executive, about falling into law, finding home in Sheffield and why helping bereaved families still drives him every single day.
What does your role involve?
I specialise in probate – the management of estates when someone passes away, and I’ve been in private client for 10 years. “Private Client” is the term we give to matters involving Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Trusts and Probate.
I completely fell into law. When I was at college, I wanted to go into film and media. I’m a creative person. I love doing creative things. At the time I was working front of house in a pub and I loved the interaction with people. I had this big dream that I’d own a pub one day. I managed a couple and they were successful, but I got fed up with the late hours and not having much of a social life.
My mum worked at a law firm in Somerset and said there was a job going in the business recovery department. That was my inroad into law.
From there I moved into private client as a paralegal supporting the trusts and tax team, then began working more in wills and probate. I got a real taste for it and I loved it. Eventually I moved into an estate administration role with a large financial services group. I just fell in love with the work.
You’re with families for around a year, sometimes longer. You really get to know them. They’re bereaved and often don’t know where to turn. Being able to guide them through that process is incredibly rewarding.
You don’t have a traditional law degree. Has that ever felt like a barrier?
People do assume you need to be a qualified solicitor to do this type of work but there are many recognised pathways to becoming a legal advisor
I feel as though I was given a lucky break earlier in my career. People saw something in me beyond qualifications. I’m like a sponge – I soak everything up. That’s how I’ve built my knowledge base.
I have started the STEP qualification – the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. It’s considered the pinnacle for private client lawyers and it’s globally recognised. I have completed the certificate level and plan to pick it back up soon.
You’re open about being autistic. How does that shape the way you work?
I’ve never seen it as a barrier. If anything, it helps. Probate can be very number heavy – accounts, tax reporting, estate calculations – and numbers just click for me. It’s like a little superpower and It probably even gives me a level of confidence I might not otherwise have.
How did moving to Sheffield – and joining Banner Jones – impact your confidence?
When I first moved north, I worked elsewhere and my confidence took a hit.
Joining Banner Jones rebuilt my passion completely. From the interview I knew it was right. It felt like a conversation, not an interrogation. I accepted the job without even knowing the salary. I just knew it was where I was meant to be.
Now I’m mentoring my own paralegal, who’s just starting out in her career. I’m proud that I can guide her in the way others guided me. Without people taking time to teach me, I wouldn’t be where I am.
I’m also proud of how my role has expanded. I don’t just do probate now. I handle wills, powers of attorney, Court of Protection matters and trust work. I’m proud of my resilience and my willingness to keep learning.
What keeps you passionate about probate after all this time?
Every single day I help someone. It might be a colleague, it might be a client, but I’m impacting someone’s life in a positive way.
Families come in at one of the hardest points in their lives. They’re overwhelmed by deadlines, paperwork and legal processes. Then they leave feeling supported, sometimes even smiling, because they know they’re not facing it alone.
A client said to me recently they’d been so worried about how everything would be managed. After our meeting, they said, “This is going to be easy.” That’s the biggest compliment.
How did Sheffield become home?
I was born and bred in Taunton. I’d never lived anywhere else Then I met Marcus – he’s from Doncaster – and we’d always planned that, long term, we’d move up to Sheffield. When the time came, we packed up and did it.
It was the best thing I ever did.
When you come up the M1, see the Sheffield signs and come down the Parkway, it feels like the arms of the city are wrapping around you. Everyone says it’s the world’s biggest village, and it really is. I’ve made some of the best friends of my life here.
It feels more like home than anywhere I’ve lived.
What’s next along that path – in work and in life?
Marcus and I are just enjoying life as it is. We’d love to adopt one day, but only when the time is right.
Career-wise, I want to keep progressing. I’ll likely continue with STEP and potentially explore qualifying as a solicitor through the newer experience-based routes. I am lucky that Banner Jones actively supports it’s staff through ongoing training and encourages them to pursue professional qualifications, helping them reach their full potential.
Right now, I’m happy. I get to do work that matters, in a city that feels like home, surrounded by people I’ve chosen as family. That’s not a bad place to be.
