About Jessica
Client care is at the heart of what I do. I appreciate that most of my clients are experiencing a difficult time, made even more so by having to deal with a different jurisdiction than one they are used to. My aim is to help bring their matters to the best conclusion in the simplest way.
Jessica Zama (legally Armstrong) is a dually qualified Italian avvocato stabilito and an English Solicitor. She has over a decade’s experience in Italian law, having worked extensively in both Italy and the UK.
She specialises in cross-border estate planning, estate administration and wills for clients who have assets in Italy. She has particular experience in dealing with complicated cross-border estate administrations and advises executors, trustees and beneficiaries on applicable law, procedure and inheritance taxes due, including in situations where minors are inheriting assets in Italy.
She also regularly provides Affidavits of Italian Law for use at Probate Registries across England and Wales.
Jessica’s clients stem from all over the world, including the UK, US, Australia and South Africa and she has a wide network of professionals she works with across Italy.
She is bilingual in Italian and English.
She became a Solicitor of England and Wales in 2009 and has been registered with the Ordine degli Avvocati di Roma since 2012.
Experience
Cross-Border Estate Planning: advised an individual with assets in Italy, France and Switzerland on the best succession and tax planning tools for their Italian assets and on the best option for distribution of these assets post death in Italy
Estate Administration: assisted heirs to an estate with significant assets in the United States and Italy in a complicated administration involving two US Wills, one of which was contested in its validity, where the deceased were resident in Italy.
Minors inheriting abroad: provided legal assistance to an English national who was a minor, whose father died intestate, providing advice on applicable law and the correct procedure to inherit these assets.
Executors and Trustees for Italian assets: assisted one of the Executors in a matter where the other Executor died, where Italian assets held in both their names would have to be transferred to the surviving executor in accordance to English law.
Education
- 2:1 Law LLB from the University of Durham
- Commendation – LPC College of Law
- Distinction in a STEP Certificate in trusts and estates - England and Wales
Memberships
- Member of BILA—British Italian Lawyers’ Association
- Member of STEP— Affiliate Member