Case studies

We were contacted by the trustees of a grant making charity when it faced an inquiry by the Charity Commission into investments it had made.

In situations where parties have agreed that their dispute will be determined by an expert, the courts have no authority to tell the expert what to do.

Our contentious private client team successfully defended a High Court claim brought by the former carer of Mr Nicholas Rayner. The judge was heavily critical of the claimant and ordered the repayment of money and return of documents improperly removed by her.

We were originally instructed in a claim in which the deceased's will was contested on the ground that he did not have testamentary capacity. The matter went to a final hearing and judgment was given in favour of the claimant.

We acted on behalf of William Osenton, who was executor of his late mother's estate, in relation to a dispute between his three brothers regarding the validity of their mother's will.

Our contentious private client team acted on behalf of the executor of the estate of Anthony Tackaberry and successfully defended a claim that a property registered in his name was held on trust, rather than absolutely owned by his estate.

Our contentious private client team acted on behalf of Pamela Carvel, niece of Thomas Carvel, in a claim regarding the court's jurisdiction to remove trustees and personal representatives from office. The claim involved technical arguments relating to the interpretation of statutory authority for the court's jurisdiction in this area.

Our client had been gifted a property by his mother before she died. The property had been purchased in her sole name. However, after her death, our client's stepfather claimed that the property had been purchased using joint funds, but that for various reasons it had been registered in the mother's sole name, and that the intention behind the gift to our client was that he should hold the property on trust for his mother and stepfather.

Our contentious private client team successfully defended a highly unusual case where the claimant alleged that our clients had deliberately suppressed a will made by their father in favour of the claimant.

Our client was a beneficiary under a statutory will which had been executed on behalf of the patient some years previously.

We have advised on a number of matters where we already act for an executor in the administration of an estate in which a claim has been made against the estate, most commonly by a spouse of the deceased or someone who had been cohabiting with them, on the ground that reasonable financial provision has not been made for them from the estate......>>

Our client's father executed a deed of gift under which his intention was to give our client a third of his share in a property which was owned jointly between the father and a trust.