Inheritance and Will Disputes

Disputes over wills and inheritance can be distressing: they are often between family members or friends and usually occur at a time when emotions are already running high following the death of a loved one. Without professional guidance and advice, inheritance and will disputes can easily develop into long-term, even permanent rifts in relationships. Coodes’ personal disputes team helps family members and other beneficiaries to find solutions to disputes over wills and inheritance as quickly, cost efficiently and with as little animosity as possible.

Our team includes experienced members of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and regularly handles disputed wills, executor and trustee disputes, negligence cases, and inheritance claims.

Arguments over inheritance, questions over the validity of the will, and disagreement about how the estate is being handled are common, and good reasons for taking expert legal advice. People will have differing views of what is ‘fair’ and what the deceased’s final wishes were – they may even have very specific expectations perhaps based on recent interactions with the deceased. It’s also true that modern family structures can be much more complicated than previously, which can lead to widely varying expectations of how a deceased person’s estate will be passed on.

We have lawyers who specialise in resolving will and inheritance-related disputes and our team has handled hundreds of these issues over the years, from straightforward cases of intestacy cases – where someone dies without a will – to high-value estates involving multiple properties and complex assets.

Our approach to inheritance and will disputes

We aim to approach will and inheritance disputes practically but also sensitively. We understand that your loved one was a unique individual who should be remembered and respected for who they were, not just for how much money they left behind.

We will keep your best interests at heart throughout the process, taking all possible steps to keep the dispute civil and as non-combative as possible, including during any settlement discussions or court proceedings.

Whether you need to bring a claim or defend one, we will help you to work through the issues as peaceably as possible, finding a practical resolution that is in your best interests. Our goal is work efficiently and to minimise the tension and the costs. With our expert advice on inheritance and will disputes, you have the best possible chance of avoiding court proceedings, which can be lengthy, costly and unpredictable. However, should you need to take this further, we have extensive experience in successfully pursuing these claims through the courts, right up to the Court of Appeal.

Fees for inheritance and will disputes

We approach each inheritance or will dispute on a case-by-case basis, offering a range of funding options and always seeking to provide strategies that are as economical as possible. Find out more about our fees here.