3PB Direct

“Never say you know a person until you have divided an inheritance with them…”

Dealing with the administration of an estate, of whatever value and whatever nature, can be difficult and stressful. Wills & inheritance disputes regarding a deceased’s estate come in all forms and with varying degrees of complexity. Whether you are an executor of a will or someone having to deal with an estate where there is no will, a beneficiary of an estate or somebody who believes that they have been wrongly deprived of an inheritance, you can instruct our barristers directly for help.

Our specialist probate barristers can act both in the lead up to the obtaining of a grant of probate or letters of administration – the (supposed) non-contentious probate side- through to the fallout which can occur in administering the estate – the contentious probate side.

The contentious probate disputes tend to fall into three broad categories:

  1. Challenges to the validity of the will, for example because it is alleged that the Deceased lacked capacity when he/she executed the will;
  2. Concerns about the delay or the way in which the estate is being administered;
  3. Claims by or against disappointed beneficiaries for reasonable financial provision to be made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 on the basis that they should have received more than they did under the will/on an intestacy.

More specifically we have extensive experience in:

  • Bringing and defending applications under s.116 Senior Courts Act to pass over an executor
  • Bringing and defending applications under s.50 Administration of Justice Act 1985 to substitute or remove an executor
  • Applications to court for directions regarding the administration of an estate
  • Applications for delivery of goods held by executors
  • Citations to except or refuse probate and subpoenas to produce testamentary documents
  • Applications to issue and warn off caveats
  • Applications for an account.

Whatever the dispute, we recognise the need to be sensitive to our clients’ individual needs and will be careful to tailor our approach to you personally. Our wills & inheritance disputes barristers will work hard to get you the right result in the most cost-efficient way.

For further information on pricing please visit this page.

For help and advice please contact Mark Heath on +44 (0)3333 231 586 or email us.

Frequently asked questions

Until now, for a will or codicil to be valid, “presence” in the Wills Act 1837 required for the testator to be in the “line of sight”. This did not allow for the remote witnessing of wills. Probate barrister Lydia Pemberton examines The Wills Act 1837 (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Order 2020, which expressly provides that ““presence” […]

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Hatti Suvari and 3PB barrister Lydia Pemberton talk about who can make a Will, and why you should make a Will, whether you can make a joint Will with your partner, and the pros and cons of making a joint Will. Find out whether or not you need a lawyer to make your Will, or […]

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Generally speaking, everyone is free to dispose of their assets as they want to. This means we have freedom to choose who we want to benefit from our estate when we pass away. However the law does provide protection for certain classes of people who should be entitled to receive financial provision from a deceased’s […]

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When dealing with an Inheritance Act claim, the court will take into account the applicant’s needs and resources and consider these against what would be reasonable for their maintenance. Section 3 of the Inheritance Act sets out a range of factors that have to be taken into consideration. A number of factors will be taken […]

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An executor is someone appointed by a will to administer the deceased’s estate after their death. A will can appoint up to four executors to act jointly. If the executors do not agree about how the deceased’s estate should be managed or distributed this can lead to significant conflict. Possible courses of action are to […]

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A proprietary estoppel claim can be made when someone has been promised that they will be given an interest in a property, but that promise is subsequently reneged upon. In order to bring a proprietary estoppel claim you must be able to show: That a promise has been made. This will usually be explicit, but […]

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Yes of course. You don’t have to be ready to instruct a barrister to contact us. One of our experienced team of clerks will be happy to talk to you about your situation and whether you might need to instruct a lawyer; whether this be a solicitor, barrister or other legal adviser. Our clerks will […]

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Chat to one of the 3PB team online

Call +44 (0)3333 231 586, send us an email or chat to the 3PB Direct team online:

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How to instruct a barrister

Our experienced team of specially-trained clerks make instructing a 3PB Direct barrister simple. Watch our video for a step-by-step guide on how to work with us to achieve a resolution to your legal issue.

We’ll be here every step of the way to support and guide you through the legal challenges at hand.

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Wills & Inheritance Disputes Barristers

Seperator

Gavin Hamilton

Lawyer since 1979

Cheryl Jones

Lawyer since 1996

Amy Beddis

Lawyer since 2009

Thomas Talbot-Ponsonby

Lawyer since 2011

Antonida Kocharova

Lawyer since 2015