Josh Fenton-Hawkes is an associate and the head of the wills and probate team at Sills & Betteridge Solicitors in Sheffield. He is a skilled and knowledgeable wills, trusts and probate executive with over 13 years of experience in the legal sector. He specialises in all aspects of estate planning, including the creation of wills and trusts, administration of deceased estates and lasting powers of attorney. He also has a keen interest in Court of Protection work and the related general affairs management. With a deep understanding of the complexities involved in these areas of law, Josh is able to provide his clients with comprehensive advice and representation.
What was your career path to your current role?
My career in law was heavily influenced by my mother, who has worked as a property lawyer for more than 40 years. I started my legal career in Doncaster, where I grew up, before training under the firm’s head of wills, trusts and probate across a number of its offices.
Following the firm’s closure, I moved with my head of department to another local practice, where I continued to develop my expertise in private client law. I spent 12 years advising clients across North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire before helping to establish and grow the firm’s newest office, combining my role as a private client lawyer with branch management responsibilities.
In November 2023, I made the move to Sheffield to join Bell & Buxton as head of private client. Following its merger with Sills & Betteridge in 2025, I became associate and head of wills and probate in Sheffield. Alongside continuing to advise clients on all aspects of private client law, I also oversee the day-to-day management of the Sheffield office.
Did you have any other career ambitions?
Absolutely! For a long time I wanted to become an architect, as I enjoyed the creativity and problem-solving that came with design.
However, my real passion growing up was horses. I competed in show jumping throughout my teens and was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to work as a stable jockey for an international show jumper. At one stage, I seriously considered pursuing a career in the equestrian world.
Thankfully, my parents encouraged me to think about the long-term prospects of a legal career and, looking back, it was probably very sensible advice. Whilst my dreams of becoming an architect or professional showjumper never quite materialised, both taught me discipline, resilience and attention to detail, qualities that have served me well throughout my legal career.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
The biggest motivation for me is knowing that the work I do genuinely helps people. Private client law often involves supporting clients through some of the most important decisions and difficult periods of their lives, and I take great pride in helping them find clarity, reassurance and peace of mind.
I enjoy building relationships with clients and taking the time to understand what is important to them. In recent years, I have also developed a particular interest in supporting neurodiverse clients and ensuring legal advice is accessible and tailored to their individual needs.
I am equally passionate about helping the next generation of lawyers develop their careers. I was fortunate to have some excellent mentors throughout my own journey and enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with junior colleagues.
As my career has progressed, I have also discovered a real passion for management and business development. Watching individuals, teams and offices grow is incredibly rewarding, and seeing colleagues achieve things they didn’t think possible gives me a huge amount of satisfaction.
And, of course, good coffee never hurts!
What has been the best development in wills and probate in the last 20 years?
It might not be the answer people expect, but for me it’s technology.
When I started my career, private client departments were full of paper files, filing cabinets and storage rooms. If you wanted information, there was often a lot of searching involved.
Modern case management systems and digital working have transformed the way we operate.
We can provide a more efficient service to clients, access information more easily and spend less time buried in paperwork.
Private client law will always be about people and relationships, but I certainly don’t miss having hundreds of bulky paper files stacked around my office.
And the worst?
Having praised technology, I’d probably say the ever-growing amount of bureaucracy and compliance that comes with modern legal practice.
I completely understand why many of the regulations exist as they are there to protect clients and maintain professional standards. However, it can sometimes feel like for every improvement that makes life easier, another layer of administration appears to replace it.
The most rewarding part of my job is working with people, not forms and checklists, so anything that takes time away from clients can be frustrating.
If you could bring in one new piece of legislation for the sector, what would it be and why?
I would like to see the law surrounding wills modernised.
Much of the legislation we still rely upon was introduced long before modern family structures, digital assets and the way people live today. Every day I advise blended families, business owners, farmers and clients with increasingly complex personal circumstances.
A modern framework that reflects contemporary life, whilst continuing to protect vulnerable individuals, would be a huge step forward. Anything that makes planning for the future simpler, clearer and more accessible has to be a positive thing.
What piece of legislation would you take off the statute books and why?
This is probably where I become unpopular with the Treasury!
If I could reverse one recent change, it would be the inheritance tax reforms affecting agricultural property relief, business property relief and private pensions.
Having spent much of my career advising farming families, business owners and individuals with substantial pension wealth, I have seen first-hand how important long-term succession planning can be. My concern is that these changes will bring more estates into the inheritance tax net and create additional challenges for families who are simply trying to preserve assets built up over generations.
Whilst I understand the reasoning behind the reforms, I worry they create greater complexity and uncertainty for families at what is already a difficult time.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
I’m not sure I’ve ever had one defining piece of advice that has stayed with me throughout my career. Instead, one of the most important lessons I have learned is that nobody has all the answers.
Early in my career, I worried that asking questions might make me appear inexperienced. What I eventually realised is that even the most experienced lawyers have days where they come across something unfamiliar and need to stop, think and seek guidance.
It’s a lesson I often share with junior colleagues. There is no such thing as a stupid question. The best professionals are not those who know everything, but those who are willing to learn, ask questions and keep developing.
What advice would you like to give to someone just starting out?
Don’t get too hung up on job titles or what you think your career path should look like.
When I started out, there was often a perception that becoming a solicitor was the only route to a successful legal career. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. There are now many different pathways into the legal profession, and I have worked alongside some exceptional legal professionals who have taken less traditional routes.
Focus on gaining experience, developing your skills and finding the path that is right for you. A successful career isn’t about the title on your business card, it’s about enjoying what you do and constantly looking for opportunities to grow.
Tell us something people may be surprised to know about you…
Most people expect a lawyer to spend their spare time reading legal textbooks. The reality is somewhat different – I’m a huge Pokémon fan.
What started as a childhood interest never really went away and remains one of my favourite ways to switch off outside of work. In fact, my enthusiasm has gone so far that I even have a Pokémon tattoo.
I think everyone needs something that helps them escape the pressures of everyday life and reconnect with their younger self. For me, that’s Pokémon. It’s certainly not what most people expect when they first meet a wills and probate lawyer!
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