HELP WITH CONTESTING A WILL

Some help pushing forward with an inheritance dispute

Family Inheritance Disputes

Disputes over inheritance are usually conflicts embedded in deep emotional pain. Grief comes in all shapes and sizes and usually doled out in feelings of anger, hurt, isolation, confusion and an overwhelming feeling that your challenges and perspective at this difficult time are under-appreciated.

While mediation and conflict coaching is a way to discuss the challenges, the conflict, and to seek resolution for a family, sometimes it’s not the starting position.

If you prefer expert legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in inheritance law, then I am a consultant solicitor who can offer you advice on your dispute over inheritance. Please get in touch below to discuss further.

Woman holding a mug, sitting on a sofa with a laptop and plants in a sunny room.

My Work as a Consultant Solicitor involves:

Challenges to the validity of a Will.

Disagreements with Executors.

Claims on an Estate by those left out of a Will or not properly provided for (claims under the 1975 Act for financial provision).

Disagreements with Executors.

Disagreements about the value of an asset.

Learn more about me

Do I Have a Valid Claim?

Each dispute turns on its own facts, but to help, the fundamental questions to ask are:

- Was one party in the inheritance dispute financially dependent on the person who has died?

- Was the person who has died the parent, spouse, ex-spouse of one party to the inheritance dispute?

- Is one party to the inheritance dispute a direct descendant of the person who has died?

- Was one party to the inheritance dispute included in their last Will, or included in a previous Will?

- Did one party to the inheritance dispute share a home with the person who has died before their death?

Generally, if you can answer ‘yes’ to one of the above questions, then there is often a valid inheritance dispute to resolve.

What if 'yes' applies?

If ‘yes’ applies, it does not mean court is your only option.

In my experience, some inheritance disputes can be solved after some letters and phone calls between the parties, many solve by mediation, and a few need to begin, or finish, through a court process.

Most times, there is a combination of all three to get parties over the hump (see what I did there?) of an inheritance dispute. But the vast majority of inheritance disputes do not go all the way to trial.

Less than 5% of my caseload as a contentious probate solicitor has involved formal legal proceedings where clients have had to enter a court room.

I hope this helps at this difficult time. Please contact me, whatever you need, I’ve got your back (yep, another camel quip – I could go on, and on 😊)

Referrals or recommendations

- Where I cannot act as your solicitor, I will be able to refer you to a fellow professional who can help.

- If there is scope to act as your mediator, I will not act for you in my capacity as a consultant solicitor, and will offer you recommendations, and put you in touch with a fellow professional.

- If you have found me following a recommendation from a fellow solicitor, then I cannot act for you in your dispute unless I have the permission of the solicitor who recommended me to you.

I will always ask you if anyone referred you to me, but it’s great if you can tell me upfront.

Want to Know more?

- If you believe you need legal advice on your inheritance dispute, please get in touch below to discuss.

- If you’d like to discuss mediation for your inheritance dispute, or conflict coaching, please get in touch below.

- If you’re not sure what you need, let’s set up a time to chat and I’ll try and help and will refer you to others where I can’t.

My work and specialism means that I can recommend solicitors, barristers, mediators, counsellors and other talk therapies depending on your individual circumstances.