Conveyancing & Property

Team

Meet our Team

The team has many years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all aspects of Conveyancing Transactions. Regardless of who works on your matter they will be supervised by one of our specialist Supervising Conveyancing Lawyers.

Mark John Deavall

Solicitor, Director & Head of Conveyancing

Mark qualified as a Solicitor on 1st September 2000 after gaining both a Law Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (with Distinction) from Staffordshire University (where in 1998 Mark was awarded the Annual Prize for Outstanding Performance) and undergoing a Professional Skills Course with the College of Law in 1999.

Having previously worked for Woolliscrofts for seven years prior to 2006 (including just over two years as a Partner), following employment and Partnerships with other Legal Practices, Mark returned to work for Woolliscrofts in August 2014 – since when Mark has been appointed as a Director of this Company.

Mark has considerable experience of Conveyancing, is the Head of our Property Department and is the Senior Responsible Officer in relation to the membership of this Company of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme.

Ray Basnett

Solicitor and Director

Having qualified as a Solicitor in 1978 after gaining his Law Degree, Ray has considerable experience in Conveyancing, Wills, Probate and Powers of Attorney. He began his training at Rees Jones Solicitors and joined Woolliscrofts Solicitors in 1982 and has practiced here since then. He became a Partner of the firm and, following the incorporation of what was originally a Partnership Practice, is now an Executive Director of Woolliscrofts Solicitors Limited.

Ray is proud to have had dealings with many long standing clients during his time with Woolliscrofts – in many cases acting for successive generations of families – and has experience of dealing with in the region of 400 conveyancing transactions per year with the assistance of his team.

Ray’s Supervisor is Mark Deavall.

Email Ray

William Murray Cantlay

Associate Solicitor

Murray qualified as a Solicitor in 1980 with a Bachelor of Law Honours Degree from London University.

For in excess of 25 years he was a Partner at different law firms before joining our Conveyancing / Property department in 2013, primarily based at our Tunstall Office.

He is skilled and experienced in dealing with a wide variety of property matters and has experience of dealing with in the region of 150 residential conveyancing matters per year in addition to also undertaking Commercial Property work.

Murray’s Supervisor is Mark Deavall.

Email Murray

Caroline Helen Carnes

Associate Solicitor

Caroline heads up the Conveyancing Team at our Stone Office and has over 30 years of expertise in property work. Caroline qualified in 1987 after completing her Law Degree at University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST), training both in Stone and London. She has worked at different firms in the Staffordshire area before joining Woolliscrofts in 2015. Caroline lives in Stone and knows the issues that are relevant to the area.

Caroline has experience of undertaking in the region of 200 residential conveyancing transactions per year.

Caroline’s Supervisor is Mark Deavall.

Email Caroline

Rachel Byles ACILEx

Conveyancing Manager

Rachel is a Conveyancing Manager in the Practice and has had experience in private client work since 2001, specialising in Residential Conveyancing.

Rachel started at Woolliscrofts on 15^th September 2001 at our Head Office in Hanley and in 2002 commenced her studies through the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx).

On 1st September 2009 she became an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (ACILEx) and transferred to our Alsager Branch in 2016 to run the Conveyancing Department, where she has experience of dealing with in the region of 200 residential conveyancing transactions with the assistance of her team.

Rachel’s Supervisor is Mark Deavall.

Email Rachel

Hayley Edwards

Conveyancing Assistant

Hayley has worked for Woolliscrofts since 2003 and has considerable experience of dealing with Conveyancing matters. In common with all other relevant members of staff within our Conveyancing Department, due to the fact that Woolliscrofts Solicitors are a Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme accredited legal practice, Hayley has undertaken the regular training requirements essential to maintaining awareness of current issues of relevance to Residential Conveyancing work.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Ray Basnett. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Hayley

Alison Myatt

Conveyancing Assistant

Alison is Personal Assistant and Senior Conveyancing Secretary. She has worked in the legal profession since 2001, joined Woolliscrofts in 2013 and, through her considerable practical experience, is very fully conversant with the conveyancing process. Like all our staff, due to the fact that Woolliscrofts Solicitors are a Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme accredited legal practice, Alison undertakes the regular training requirements essential in conveyancing today.

On a day-to-day basis Alison is supervised by Caroline Carnes. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Alison

Gillian Buckley

Conveyancing Assistant

Gill has in excess of 30 years experience working within the property / conveyancing departments of law firms as a secretary / assistant to a Partner and /or other Fee Earner.

Since 2013 Gill has been with us working in the same capacity where the work she undertakes involves both residential and commercial property transactions.

On a day-to-day basis Gill is supervised by Murray Cantlay. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Gillian

Kylie Taylor

Conveyancing Assistant

Kylie is a Conveyancing Assistant, who started at Woolliscrofts on 2nd March 2015.

Prior to joining Woolliscrofts Solicitors Kylie had experience of working in Conveyancing since 2001.

Kylie started her studies to be a Licenced Conveyancer with CLC in August 2015.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Rachel Byles. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Kylie

Arlene Bird

Conveyancing Assistant

Arlene has worked in the Legal Profession since 1972 to date – and joined Woolliscrofts Solicitors Limited as a specialist Conveyancing Assistant in 2014.

During her many years of experience Arlene has dealt with all aspects of Conveyancing matters dealing with both Unregistered land and Registered land.

Arlene undertakes the regular ongoing mandatory Continuing Professional Development training which Woolliscrofts membership of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Accreditation Scheme entails.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Ray Basnett. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Arlene

Linda O’Brien

Conveyancing Secretary

Linda is a Conveyancing Secretary, she worked in a hospital in Ireland for over 10 years as a Medical Secretary before moving to England in 2002.

Linda has worked at Woolliscrofts since 8th March 2005. During this time she has worked in various departments within the Practice – including Conveyancing, Personal Injury, Debt Collection and Litigation departments. Linda has, however, specialised as a Conveyancing Secretary since 29th June 2015.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Rachel Byles. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Linda

Gemma Hamnett

Receptionist / Legal Secretary

Gemma is the Receptionist and Conveyancing assistant. She has an English Degree from Staffordshire University. She joined Woolliscrofts in 2016 after previously working for Stoke City. Gemma is involved in the initial Client Identification and file opening process in addition to providing general administrative support to other members of our Conveyancing Team.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Caroline Carnes. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Gemma

Debora Edwards

Administrative Assistant

Debora has worked for Woolliscrofts in our Conveyancing Department since 2014 and primarily deals with the initial Client Identification and file opening process.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley is supervised by Ray Basnett. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Debora

Hayley Wright

Senior Receptionist

Hayley has worked for Woolliscrofts since July 2007 and her role includes assisting our Private Client Department with the initial Client Identification process, making appointments and processing Card Payments.

On a day-to-day basis Hayley’s involvement with our Property Department is supervised by Ray Basnett. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Hayley

Claire Smith

Receptionist

Having previously worked in reception roles on and off since 1987, Claire initially commenced her career with Woolliscrofts, as a Senior Receptionist at our Hanley branch, in September 2002, before taking a break in January 2013 to run her own business prior to returning to work for Woolliscrofts – initially at our Alsager Branch in August 2016 prior to returning to our Head Office in Hanley in 2020.

Claire has extensive experience of looking after Woolliscrofts clients both on the phone and face to face and assists our Conveyancing Department with the initial Client Identification process.

On a day-to-day basis Claire’s involvement with our Property Department is supervised by Ray Basnett. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Claire

Sarah Peach

Receptionist / Administrative Assistant

Sarah began work with Woolliscrofts in May 2012 and her role includes assisting our Private Client Department with the initial Client Identification process.

On a day-to-day basis Sarah’s involvement with our Property Department is supervised by Murray Cantlay. The overall Supervisor of our Property Department is Mark Deavall.

Email Sarah

CALL OUR TEAM NOW ON 01782 204000
Alternatively send us a free no obligation enquiry by e-mail.

Our Areas

We offer a wide range of legal services with competitive fee structures tailored to your individual needs.

Buying
Selling
Remortgage/Transfer of Equity/Equity Release

Conveyancing & Property

Team

Meet our Team

The team has many years of collective experience in delivering high quality work in all aspects of Conveyancing Transactions. Regardless of who works on your matter they will be supervised by one of our specialist Supervising Conveyancing Lawyers.

Mark John Deavall

Ray Basnett

William Murray Cantlay

Caroline Helen Carnes

Rachel Byles ACILEx

Hayley Edwards

Alison Myatt

Gillian Buckley

Kylie Taylor

Arlene Bird

Linda O’Brien

Gemma Hamnett

Debora Edwards

Hayley Wright

Claire Smith

Sarah Peach

Our Areas

We offer a wide range of legal services with competitive fee structures tailored to your individual needs.

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Our Team

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