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An appeal after the original district judges decision raised an interesting point with regard to two sections of the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (“TOLATA”). Namely, s15(3) and s14

The 2021 Inheritance (Provision for Family and dependants) Act 1975 (the ‘Act’) claim of Miles & Anor -v- Shearer highlighted the difference between claims made by a spouse and a claim made by wider potential beneficiaries.

The recent case of Biria v Biria addressed the main issues that can be raised when disputing a will. Namely mental capacity, undue influence and “fraudulent calumny”.

Year on year the number of disputed estates that end up in the court room has increased massively and this fast moving area of law does not appear to be slowing at any point soon.

The High Court has recently made an important decision after Master McQuail exercised the Court’s discretion to modify the forfeiture rule and granted full relief in the circumstances of a ‘mercy killing’.

Another claim brought by a surviving spouse under the Inheritance Act has been in the headlines recently. Read our blog post to find out more.

The recent Supreme Court judgment in Guest and another v Guest [2022] marks the latest in a long line of farming disputes dealing with the expectations of claimants involved in farming businesses.

It’s been another excellent year for Ramsdens in The Legal 500 UK 2023 rankings.

Nazia Nawaz, Head of Contentious Probate at Ramsdens, has featured on FarmingUK.com looking at the recent rise in the number of inheritance and succession disputes of farming businesses.

The Legal 500’s results for 2022 have been announced and we’re extremely proud to have ranked in 9 practice areas (Employment, Corporate & Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Property, Family, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate, Contentious Probate, Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury) up one more than last year.

Nazia Nawaz, Head of Contentious Probate at Ramsdens, has featured on WhatInvestment explaining how you can protect your loved ones to avoid inheritance disputes in a blended family.

The loss of a loved one is a difficult time and having doubt whether their Will truly reflects their wishes can make an emotional time even more difficult.

This summer our Contentious Probate team will be taking on the one million steps over three months challenge – that’s about 10,000 steps a day.

Our Head of Contentious Probate, Nazia Nawaz has featured on the Express Online discussing our recent research which found that of the 1,100 British people surveyed, 44% of adults would turn on their family and friends if they felt they had been “snubbed by a loved one’s Will.”

Our Head of Contentious Probate, Nazia Nawaz has featured in the Daily Express, discussing the complications that may arise should you not draw up a will.

We are delighted to have achieved another year of great rankings in the Legal 500.

This year we’ve ranked in eight practice areas across our Business and Personal services (including Corporate and Commercial, Commercial Litigation, Employment, Commercial Property, Family, Contentious Probate, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate and Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury: Claimant) and 20 solicitors have been recommended for their work.

The widespread confusion around who can contest a will, and for which reasons, mean that many people are missing out on inheritance that could be legally owed to them.

This is something which the Court had to consider in the recent case of Clitheroe v Bond [2020].

The case relates to the Estate of Jean Clitheroe who died in September 2017. She had three children, namely, a son and two daughters, one of whom had died in 2009. In 2010 she made her first Will effectively leaving the bulk of her estate to her son John Clitheroe and excluding her daughter Susan Bond.

There has been several farming disputes before the courts in recent years and the latest decision in the case of Guest v Guest [2019] reminds us of the remedies available to successful Claimants in proprietary estoppel claims.

The “forfeiture rule” under The Forfeiture Act 1982 prohibits a person from benefiting from the estate of the person he/she unlawfully killed, however the Court has a discretion to waive forfeiture in certain cases.

An interesting judgement was delivered at Leeds County Court last month in the case of Bullockv Denton &Willoughby [2020].

The Claimant, Yvonne Bullock moved in with her partner just over 3 years before his sudden and unexpected death in May 2017.

Generally, any claim under the Act must be brought within 6 months of the date on which a Grant of probate was issued. However, in certain cases the courts have discretion to extend this time limit.

Ramsdens Solicitors have appointed Will Trust and Estate Disputes specialist, Nazia Nawaz as Partner in their contentious probate team.

DIY wills are not a new phenomenon and have been around for some time. An attractive option to many allowing a saving of a few hundred pounds. But what position can this leave your family in?

When a person dies, sometimes relatives or other interested third parties may be surprised or disappointed at the contents of the deceased’s will and in particular who is due to inherit under it.