Defending a contested will

We have a team of contentious probate lawyers who specialise in inheritance disputes. Their extensive experience includes defending a contested will claim on behalf of the beneficiaries and executors named in the will. To give you a flavour of what can be involved when defending a contested will claim, here is a short case study featuring a beneficiary who we helped to defend a multi-party inheritance claim

Case study of a contested will claim that was successfully defended

The claim was brought by the deceased’s wife against all the beneficiaries named in her late husband’s will, including his children, grandchildren and various charities.

Although the claimant had already been provided for in the will she felt it wasn’t enough and issued court proceedings. We were consulted and instructed to act in the defence of the claim.

Because court proceedings can get expensive, we arranged for an early mediation to be held. The mediation was successful and an agreement was reached by all the parties about how the estate should be divided. The legal proceedings went no further and it resulted in significant legal costs being saved.

Where an out of court settlement cannot be achieved then the defendant may have little alternative but to defend the contested will claim at trial.

How we can help you with defending a contested will

If you find yourself in the position of defending a contested will claim it is important to act quickly and seek professional advice from a specialist lawyer.

We will assess the strengths and weaknesses of the claim being made and advise you on your options for defending the case.

We will also consider the likely impact of legal costs on the estate and whether you could become personally liable for those costs.

For a preliminary assessment of how we can help you with defending a contested will claim, call us on 0333 888 0404 or send brief details to us by email at [email protected]