Julia Burns
Mediator
Short Introduction
Julia Burns is a specialist inheritance, trusts and probate mediator who helps families resolve complex inheritance disputes, estate conflicts and private wealth disagreements. A former contentious trusts and probate solicitor and one of the UK's leading private client mediators, she is widely recognised for her expertise in family conflict, inheritance claims and emotionally sensitive disputes.
Julia combines deep legal knowledge with exceptional emotional intelligence, helping families navigate difficult conversations around wills, trusts, estates and family relationships. She is particularly experienced in multi party inheritance disputes and is known for creating a supportive environment where parties feel genuinely heard and understood.
Testimonials
About Work
Inheritance and private wealth disputes are the focus of Julia's mediation practice. She regularly mediates contested probate claims, Inheritance Act disputes, trust disputes, Court of Protection matters, proprietary estoppel claims, farming succession disputes and family conflicts involving significant assets.
Before becoming a full time mediator, Julia practised for more than a decade as a contentious trusts and probate solicitor, developing a national reputation in this specialist area. She was also the first solicitor in the UK to obtain CEDR's specialist private client mediation qualification.
Her mediation work frequently involves highly emotional disputes between family members where financial issues are closely connected to grief, loss and long standing relationship dynamics. She is particularly experienced in multi party family disputes and complex inheritance cases.
Clients value Julia's empathetic, thoughtful and client-focused approach. Through extensive pre-mediation preparation and careful listening, she helps parties feel understood, reduce conflict and engage constructively in discussions that support both settlement and long term family healing.
Expertise
- Private Client
Languages
- English
- French
- German (basic)
Awards
Shortlisted as Civil & Commercial Mediator of the Year in 2022 at the National Mediation Awards
Ranked in Chambers & Partners (Band 3) and Chambers High Net Worth Trusts Mediators and Legal 500 (Band 4)
Memberships
- CMC www.civilmediation.org
- ACTAPS www.actaps.com
- ConTrA www.contra.uk.com
- STEP www.step.org
- ANM - www.northernmediators.co.uk
