Contentious Trusts and Probate

Ian Williamson is a partner in the firm’s disputes team, based in the Bristol City Centre office. 

Contentious Probate and Trusts Cases – example cases including:

Acting for young children where their dead father’s estate had been concealed. This involved an alleged breach of trust and we were successful in securing a substantial payment from the executors and court approval for the sum. A case where a client had been told he had lost out under a life policy because it had been varied. We established that trusts law had not been complied with, that there was a breach of trust, and secured payment of the sums he should have received plus interest and costs. Acting in a large claim involving a £1million estate and where our client was not mentioned in the Will at all. A substantial settlement figure was agreed for the client from the Estate. Involvement in a Will dispute where the Will had not been correctly witnessed. We successfully recovered a substantial settlement for the client as a result. Acting for a client who had lost out under a Will, where we claimed the Will had been made under undue influence and the testator lacked the mental capacity to make a Will. This was settled upon transfer of the deceased’s house to the client Acting for a disinherited daughter with suspicions of undue influence against the deceased. We recovered a healthy settlement sum for her. Acting for executors in large farming family dispute over the Will, and resolving the matter without going to court.