We offer expert and sensitive legal advice for inheritance tax and probate disputes, following the death of a family member or someone close to you.
Unfortunately, disputes over Wills, Trusts and Inheritance are increasingly common as families become more dispersed and their structures more complicated. Contesting a Will, Trust or Inheritance, whether you are bringing the claim or on the receiving end of it, is never an easy process.
Our dedicated Contentious Probate team, led by Hilary Buckle and Justin Sadler, is here to help. It includes a qualified member of ACTAPS (the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists), which is the kite mark of excellence in this specialist area of law.
Fixed fee initial meeting for inheritance and probate disputes…
Initial advice can be given via a one hour fixed fee meeting for £95. Thereafter, we will give you an estimate and we will not exceed that estimate without getting your permission first.
If appropriate, we will offer you a fixed fee for a fixed amount of work. We also offer Pay As You Go Legal Service, whereby you only pay for the legal services you want us to help you with, if you decide to do some of the routine work yourself and feel able to.
Out of court settlements for contentious probate cases
We are delighted that most cases we deal with result in settlement rather than trial at court. It is often worth considering mediation in which we have considerable experience as well as in other alternative dispute resolution procedures and we can advise you on negotiation tactics and strategy.
Where matters do escalate, our specialist litigators have the skill and expertise to handle a case all the way through to a court trial.
Our team can advise you on all aspects in this area, including the following:
- The deceased has not made sufficient provision for you in their will; or the Intestacy Rules (where a will is invalid or does not exist) do not sufficiently provide for you. This could be because of a change in your circumstances or in your financial dependence on the deceased;
- The deceased made promises to you when they were still alive which have not been kept in the will, particularly with regard to the disposal of the estate;
- The will was not signed properly or is otherwise invalid;
- There is a factual error in the will, indicating a claim for amending the will or trust;
- The original will has been lost;
- Disputes over the identification of beneficiaries;
- Breaches of trust or a need to remove or substitute executors, personal representatives or trustees who are failing to act appropriately;
- Disputes relating to trusts and charities or statutory wills;
- Professional negligence claims relating to trusts and estates.
- You believe that the deceased did not have the mental capacity to make a will;
- Someone has coerced the deceased into making a will;
If you are concerned about costs, please be assured that we will always provide you with an estimate based on the details of your case and our previous experience. It may be possible to fund the case through legal expenses insurance, which could even be tied in to your home insurance policy.
Get in touch
Justin deals with all aspects of Dispute Resolution for both businesses and individuals, including including Contentious Probate, Employment Law ( for both businesses and individuals) and Commercial Litigation. This means that he is familiar with the many different courts and tribunal as well as the many different methods for resolving disputes, including alternative dispute resolution such as adjudication and mediation.
If you would like to know more or arrange a fixed fee appointment, please call us on 01189 589711. Or email Justin Sadler at [email protected] or Hilary Buckle at [email protected]
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Charlotte Fox handled my father’s Will in a professional and timely way. I would recommend them as solicitors for their excellent service 
Andrew Crane
4/17/2019 - Excellent service and advice I would certainly use Barrett and Co again. Justin was very professional and knowledgable enabling me to achieve my desired outcome and cannot thank him enough. N
n
3/25/2019 - Highly recommended solicitors. Our experience of using Barrett and Co has been very positive, responses have always been on time and informative. We won't hesitate to use again should we need to.
Katie Defrates
3/21/2019 - I found Barrett and Co to be extremely helpful during a very stressful time.
Paul and his trainee Nicholas were always quick to answer any questions I had and never failed to reassure me.
I am glad I put my trust in them and would wholeheartedly recommend their services to others.
N
3/20/2019 - As I suppose like most people, my legal requirements have mainly revolved around house purchases and Will writing. Therefore when out of the blue I needed legally binding contractual advice I turned to Justin Saddler at Barrett & Co who made everything simple and understandable. Whats more he was able to add a little humour to the situation to make the process almost enjoyable.
PAUL SPENCER
3/12/2019 - Like many people I only have rare occasions to visit a solicitor, which can be daunting due to preconceptions and the unforeseen nature of the visit. However, when I spoke with Justin Sadler on an employment issue he was very quick to gauge what my requirements were and was able to adjust his explanation of legal documents to a level I was comfortable with. His quick grasp of the situation and legal knowledge meant that in the limited time we had he could concentrate on the pertinent areas and I came away with a much improved understanding of the issue.
I was also very grateful to Justin for putting some real world context around the situation. This really helped tie the legal situation to the reality along with some practical advice that not only gave me understanding of how flexible the process was but also kept potential costs to a minimum.
I would recommend Barrett and Co for their practical approach and openness in their dealings. They are definitely there to support you as their client rather than just do the legal bit.
Dan Gillett
3/12/2019 - I’ve known Justin Sandler for some years now having advised on some employment redundancy issues plus some property boundary challenges for recently
My first engagement with Barrett & co being in 2005 when I moved into the Reading area.
Highly recommend for friendly and competitive charged advice and support .
Jo Bayliss-Binks
3/07/2019 - Very support and efficient: I worked with Justin Sadler on a couple of employment law items. Justin is very knowledgeable, supportive and really put me at ease. I would highly recommend him & Barrett & Co.
Christopher Addis
2/25/2019
Wills & Probate Testimonials
We found the whole experience of writing our will very quick and simple. We thought Charlotte was brilliant, very knowledgeable and explained everything in simple English! Thank you.
May 2017– Mrs R McLaughlin
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