Kerry Venn

Kerry is an Associate in our Wills & Trusts Disputes team having joined the firm in July 2025. She acts for both charitable and individual clients bringing and defending claims or dealing with general estate disputes.

Kerry's professional experience is built upon strong foundations in Litigation now successfully broadened into contentious Wills, Probate and Trusts – to include running complex mediations and Court proceedings up to and including the Court of Appeal.

Professional Background
After qualifying in 1996, she enjoyed a long career in Devon working in personal injury and Insurance litigation.  Kerry was commissioned as a regular Army Officer in HM Army Legal Services in 1999-2000 when she served operationally in Kosovo and Northern Ireland.  Thereafter, returning to practice in the South West she represented Personal Injury Claimants with an emphasis on Trade Union clients. In 2007, Kerry formed her own Company and provided a service in Small Claims Litigation having secured authorisation under the Claims Management Regulations 2006.  Kerry then worked for a large national firm and specialised in Insurance Litigation acting for Insurers in the defence of claims whilst also representing the often conflicting interests of their insured clients at individual and corporate level.

In 2020, Kerry sought a change of direction and, using her litigation skills, moved into this niche area of law.  She completed the STEPS Certificate in Trusts and Estates (2019) and the ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trust and Probate) course with the College of Law (2022).  Kerry spent a number of years practising in this field at a large Devon firm before moving to Wilsons.

Recent highlights

• Proprietary estoppel claims (often with associated partnership and agricultural holding disputes).  Of note, Kerry had conduct of the reported case of Winter v Winter [2024] EWCA Civ699 at the High Court and the Court of Appeal.  That case, as a binding authority, provides useful analysis of the principle of detriment in this legal doctrine of case;
• Pursuing and defending claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975;
• Challenges to the validity of Wills and Mutual Wills claims;
• Contentious matters in the Court of Protection (including Statutory Will claims);
• Professional negligence claims against estate practitioners and others;
• Dealing with general Executor disputes including Court applications for their removal / substitution and recovery against Personal Representatives for misappropriated funds; and
• A claim under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 for a succession Tenancy - which settled at door of 5 day trial by First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Agricultural Land and Drainage.

In 2024 Kerry was appointed as a Lay Magistrate and regularly sits at the Plymouth and Newton Abbot Magistrates Courts. In her spare time Kerry is a keen runner completing over 100 marathons and ultras to date (including the Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara).  She also enjoys walking the South West coastal path with her family and dogs, driving the family's ancient Landrover and is a member of a local shooting and sailing club.