Meet… Julia Arnold

A large proportion of the team at Deeks Evans has been with the firm for a while and Julia Arnold is no exception – she’s been working in the Tunbridge Wells office for 23 years, having joined in October 1995. Once onboard, she worked towards her AAT and ACCA qualifications.

Meet… Julia Arnold

A large proportion of the team at Deeks Evans has been with the firm for a while and Julia Arnold is no exception – she’s been working in the Tunbridge Wells office for 23 years, having joined in October 1995. Once onboard, she worked towards her AAT and ACCA qualifications.

“While I didn’t imagine that I’d become an accountant when I was at school, I’ve ended up following in my Father’s footsteps,” says Julia. “He was an accountant and, at the firm where he worked, he also specialised in trusts and estates, which is what I’ve ended up doing.”

When she started, Julia was working for Mr Evans himself. She began doing general accountancy but, when her boss retired and Karen Braddel became a partner at the firm, Julia started working with her and learning more about trusts and estates.

Julia’s current role involves working on trust accounts and completing the associated administration around that, as well as dealing with estates and tax returns. To further her knowledge, she is about to start studying for the STEP Diploma in Trusts & Estates, with a first examination this November.

“I enjoy working in the administration side of trusts and estates, as I like the structure that involves,” Julia says. “Everything has to be just so, there’s a method and I like that. The way we complete the documentation has changed over the years though. Initially everything I worked on was on paper, but now the majority of it is computerised.”

Although she likes structure, Julia says she also likes the fact that every job is different.

“There is variety in my role and I learn something new every time. I really enjoy dealing with clients as well,” she says. “Working in this practice area means we get to know families well over a number of years; in fact, some of our clients have been with us for the whole time I’ve worked here. We’re also there to support them during some emotional times, particularly if somebody has passed away.”

Having worked with the Deeks Evans team for more than 20 years, it’s no surprise to hear that Julia thinks it’s a good place to work.

“We have a lovely bunch of people here,” she says. “They’ve been really supportive since I’ve had children – my eldest is 18 now – which has made a real difference.”

She adds: “The culture here is also really supportive towards our clients too. As a team we pride ourselves on being approachable and this is really important when you’re dealing with deceased estates, as you’re supporting people through quite personal issues. I always try to help clients to understand what we have done and why. It’s important to sit down and go through things, so they go away feeling assured that have their best interests at heart and they can see what we are doing for them.”