The homemade Will was found to be valid, resulting in a charity inheriting £180,000 in place of the testator’s family members.
Read moreContentious Probate & Inheritance Disputes
Contentious estates, probate, trusts, Wills — our solicitors provide expert support through all types of inheritance disputes following the death of a loved one.
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Our contentious probate solicitors are specialists in resolving disputes that relate to Wills, inheritance, estates and trusts.
We specialise in disputes that relate to the validity of Wills, Inheritance Act claims for financial provision, trustee and executor disputes, as well as any issues that arise in the interpretation of Wills or the administration of estates. We also advise in connection with allegations of lifetime financial abuse and disputed gifts and transactions.
What is contentious probate?
Contentious probate is any dispute surrounding the administration and distribution of a deceased person’s estate — their money, property or other possessions. These disputes arise when the validity of a Will is challenged.
Dealing with inheritance disputes can be complicated and challenging, especially during what is already a difficult time. If you’re facing a dispute relating to the death of a loved one, their estate or their assets, it can prove extremely hard to navigate alone.
Our experienced team is here to support you through this emotional and unsettling time. By providing sensitive, strategic, expert guidance at every stage of the process, our nationally-recognised team will help you to navigate the complexities of probate law — and reach the right result.
Whether you’re a claimant, defendant, executor, trustee or beneficiary, we’ll fight your corner and represent your interests to the highest possible standards — giving you the greatest chance of successfully resolving the dispute on the best possible terms while minimising disruption to your life.
Talk to us by giving us a call on 0333 004 4488, sending us an email at hello@brabners.com or completing our contact form below.
Nationally-recognised trust and inheritance dispute solicitors
Our probate lawyers have a national reputation for excellence. The team is led by “talented litigator” Nicola Turner — a full member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Solicitors held in high regard by fellow professionals and The Legal 500. Nicola qualified as a solicitor in 2005, before joining Brabners in September 2023 and becoming Partner and Head of Contentious Probate.
Nicola has been described by a fellow legal professional as someone “whose judgement sets her apart” and has been instructed to represent barristers and partners in other law firms in their personal capacities — a go-to lawyer of choice in the contentious probate field to not only the public, but the legal profession as well.
Our inheritance disputes team also includes Associate Beth Middleton and Solicitor Georgina Vokes. A “highly promising” Associate, Beth is recognised as a “key lawyer” in The Legal 500. She's also a member of ConTra (the Contentious Trusts Association) and the Northern Contentious Probate Group. Beth is due to become an accredited Associate Member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Solicitors this year and is widely recognised across the Northern circuit for her expertise.
The full suite of legal services for Will, inheritance, trust and probate disputes
We take the time to deeply understand your priorities, objectives and approach, and will develop a solution-focused, bespoke strategy aimed at securing the best possible outcome for your dispute.
Our probate solicitors routinely advise on:
- Inheritance Act disputes: under the Inheritance (provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, whether bringing or defending a claim made by a disappointed beneficiary who has been left out of a Will.
- Will validity: challenging or defending the validity of Wills based on lack of mental capacity, undue influence or other arguments.
- Executor and trustee disputes: dealing with executors or trustees who've delayed, failed to progress the administration of estates or acted negligently or dishonestly.
- Estate administration: all related proceedings, including claims by and against executors for their removal and/or in relation to disputed assets or estate accounts.
- Caveats and probate registry proceedings: dealing with caveats, warnings, appearances, summons and all other disputes in the probate registry.
- Construction and rectification of Wills: disputes regarding how a Will or Trust should be interpreted when the wording is unclear.
- Lost or destroyed Wills: ascertaining whether a lost or destroyed Will can be enforced or proved.
- Charities Act proceedings: whether for or against charity trustees and disputes relating to inheritance or legacies due to charities.
- Contested Court of Protection proceedings: such as disputed gifts, statutory Wills and deputyship applications.
- Estoppel: bringing or defending estoppel claims, where a promise of inheritance has been made and broken.
- Lifetime gifts or transactions: financial abuse challenges relating to lifetime gifts or transactions undertaken by attorneys/deputies, friends or family.
- Trusts: disputes in relation to trust interpretation and operation.
- Trustees: proceedings by or against trustees in relation to compliance with their duties and the effective administration of trusts.
Meet our experts
Resolving inheritance disputes skilfully and strategically, nationally and internationally
We act for a wide range of individuals, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families in connection with estates across the North West and wider England and Wales.
Widely recognised for our expertise in relation to contentious trust and inheritance disputes, we’re often called on to resolve issues that arise in high value and complex estates, including those with business or international elements. We can recover or protect multi-million-pound estate assets.
If you believe that a Will is invalid, you’ve been unfairly left out of a Will or you should be entitled to a greater proportion of a family inheritance — or if you have any other concerns regarding an estate — we can help.
We’re more than happy to conduct virtual or face-to-face meetings with you — providing a flexible and responsive service to clients both nationally and internationally.
“The specialist contentious trusts and probate team at Brabners advises domestic and international clients on a broad range of matters relating to the resolution of disputes and the administration of estates, including challenges to the validity of Wills, Court of Protection proceedings and Charity Act matters involving trustees. The ‘engaging and solution-focused' practice head Nicola Turner is a contentious trusts and probate expert with strong commercial capabilities. Beth Middleton, who is also a contentious trusts and probate specialist, is another key practitioner.”
The Legal 500 2025
“Thank you so much, Nicola [Turner]. Please know that you have made a huge difference to my son’s life and my own — and we are hugely grateful for all that you have done. This is truly the first time in over four years where I don’t feel like I am carrying a ton of lead weight with me everywhere. We can finally begin to live again. So grateful to you.”
Client feedback
“Nicola Turner stands out… in the accuracy of her judgement of cases and their likely outcome… Nicola is not afraid to give direct advice and she never sits on the fence.”
The Legal 500
“Nicola’s focus is always on achieving the best results for her clients… She is adept at combining empathy with professionalism. She gets the balance right, offering a service which combines the personal touch with the pragmatism required to get her client to where he or she needs to be. If I was ever to find myself embroiled in probate litigation, Nicola would be one of the people to whom I would turn.”
Mediator
“Where Nicola scores particularly strongly is that her assessment of the merits and weaknesses of her cases is highly accurate. This allows her to deal with her cases in a very focussed and efficient way which leads to good outcomes and a high degree of satisfaction from clients. Her direct and proactive manner leaves opponents in no doubt that she knows what she is doing which is crucial in these types of disputes.”
Barrister
“A high level of technical expertise is needed as well as an ability to empathise and gain the confidence of clients involved in what are frequently highly emotive disputes. Nicola possesses that level of technical ability as well as the emotional intelligence needed to engage successfully with clients.”
Barrister
“Thank you so much for all of your help with this matter. I can finally move forward knowing that this matter has been resolved in the best way and by a fantastic law firm. Once again thank you so much for all your help.”
Client feedback
“My family and I would like to thank you all for the work, patience and professionalism during the stressful period that we endured during the time of my case. We had the best team of solicitors to fight our case.”
Client feedback
“I would like to thank you again for all your help on this matter. As you can imagine, so much weight is lifted from our shoulders now that the matter has been resolved. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Client feedback
“Beth Middleton dealt with the complex and challenging dispute of my grandmother’s estate on behalf of my mother. Beth made the process easy to understand and had quick, solid solutions for every problem we encountered. What was a difficult and upsetting time for my mother was made less stressful due to the care and compassion shown by Beth while legally navigating her case. Beth’s communication with the family throughout the process was faultless and her responses were speedy. Beth is extremely diligent and careful in her work. She gave us confidence that matters were always in-hand. The service we received was second to none and I would not hesitate to use Beth and Brabners for future endeavours.”
Client feedback
“Beth Middleton is a very capable junior solicitor with a growing profile in the contentious trusts and probate market in the North West.”
Anonymous barrister
“Beth Middleton acted on my behalf during a difficult and convoluted family probate dispute. Despite the complex human situation that I presented to her, she was quickly able to identify the main issues that needed addressing. Throughout the whole process, Beth was always respectful towards me and understanding of my situation. She showed a great ability to represent my case with authority, knowledge of the law and integrity. I have no doubt that these qualities enabled a fairer and quicker resolution.”
Client feedback (executor misconduct)
“I recently had the pleasure of dealing with Brabners regarding a complex family issue. Beth Middleton quickly grasped the situation, summarised our options in plain English and recommended the best course of action, which was undertaken without delay. From the first contact through to the successful conclusion, I felt confident that I was in safe hands.”
Client feedback
Deeply experienced probate specialists, on your side
This area of law has its own procedures and rules. Our contentious probate specialists work solely in the field of Wills, trusts and inheritance disputes.
Decades of experience and our specialist expertise enable us to offer practical advice and develop innovative strategies to achieve resolution as early as possible.
We work on inheritance disputes of all shapes, sizes and complexities. Our prior commercial litigation experience often provides us with an advantage over our opponents, particularly when it comes to estates that involve real property and business interests.
Given our long-standing reputation and track record in the field of contentious probate law, you can rest assured that you'll be in the very best hands.
Case Highlights
Company shareholding
Acting in a claim that sought the return of the deceased’s company shareholding (valued at £500,000) which was transferred to other family members post-death by a company director.
Inheritance Act claim
Representing a widow in connection with the estate of her late husband in a claim under the Inheritance Act and in relation to various lifetime trusts, including one that relates to the matrimonial home. The deceased was a multi-millionaire who had established various ‘family’ trusts as part of his estate planning but left his widow with no security in relation to her home or income.
Financial abuse
Acting for a number of high-profile regional charities (including North West Cancer Research) in relation to a variety of contentious probate matters, including Will construction, validity challenges and Court of Protection proceedings.
Financial abuse
Acting as court-appointed independent administrator of a multi-million-pound estate with international assets. High Court proceedings have been issued to determine whether a significant lifetime gift made by the deceased to one of their two daughters was valid, due to alleged undue influence and lack of capacity.
Executor dispute
Representing the widow of a retired solicitor who died in 2016, leaving an estate worth almost £8m. The assets include various investments based internationally. We pursued an application for an account and inquiry and in the alternative to remove the professional executor.
Executor conduct & removal
Representing the daughter beneficiary of the estate of her late father. The deceased held a property as tenants in common with his wife, with provision for a right of occupation following his death. The wife is in full-time residential care and the right of occupancy has therefore come to an end. The beneficiary intends for the property to be sold in order to realise her interest. The executor has permitted a third party to rent the property (despite having no legal standing to do so) at a significant undervalue and taken no steps to market the property or administer the estate.
Will interpretation
Representing the Executor of an estate in which the deceased gifted a property in her Will to one of her sons and gifts of the equivalent value in cash to her other two sons. After the Will was executed, the deceased placed her interest in part of the property into a limited company, such that the gifts in her Will have partially adeemed. A claim by the disappointed beneficiary was successfully defeated without the need for contested Court proceedings.
Will validity
Representing a charity that is the beneficiary of an estate. The professional executor has questioned the validity of the last Will on the basis of lack of mental capacity. The case is complicated because of the issue of conflict, confidentiality and potential breach of professional obligations on the part of the executor, whose conduct is contrary to the best interests of the beneficiaries.
Inheritance Act claim
Successfully representing a claimant who was the 30-year spouse of the deceased and executed a Will that excluded her entirely to the benefit of her two estranged children. Proceedings were issued under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The matter was complicated by the fact that the deceased had intentionally disposed of assets to a third party in attempt to defeat a claim for financial provision. Following a financial dispute resolution hearing, the parties agreed to settle which provided for the claimant to receive the majority of the estate, together with payment of her costs in full.
Contentious trusts, Wills and estates: FAQs
Need help with making a Will?
We can help you to make a new Will or review your existing one.
Our experienced estate planning team will take time to understand your circumstances and what you’re trying to achieve, with a focus on what’s important to you. We’ll also ensure that your Will is as efficient as possible for inheritance tax purposes.
Most people should review their will every two to five years or in the event of a major change in your (or your loved one’s) life.
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