Contesting will solicitors - experts at challenging and disputing Wills and inheritance act claims

Wills, Inheritance and Probate Disputes

The demand for our services in the area of contentious probate and inheritance disputes is overwhelming.

As all cases are handled personally by Daniel Sheridan - and Daniel has a very busy practice - we only take on a small fraction of cases that are referred to us.

We are most likely to agree to take on your case if (a) the value of the estate is greater than £1,000,000; or (b) your case raises complex, challenging and important legal issues.

We also only take on cases where we believe that the client has a good prospect of succeeding.

When we take on a case, our preference is to a agree a "no win, no fee" funding arrangement that reflects our confidence in the strength of the case and our confidence in our ability to succeed. However, "no win, no fee" arrangements are not always appropriate in contentious probate cases and this is something that will need to be discussed and agreed at the outset.

We have the expertise to effectively contest a will or defend a will on behalf of our clients.

We have a track record of obtaining excellent results for our clients who are disputing a will or bringing an Inheritance Act claim.

Will disputes are a complex area of law and it is important to engage solicitors who have experience in challenging wills or defending challenges to a will.

In many cases, we will agree to bring your claim on a no win no fee basis.

We take on contesting will cases that other firms may not be willing to because of their complexity and specialist nature.

We represent people in contesting will claims and Inheritance Act claims throughout the country and are recognised for our expertise.

If someone close to you has recently died you may be concerned about the validity of the Will left behind. You may be concerned that the Will does not properly reflect his or her genuine intentions or is in some way unfair. You may therefore wish to challenge or dispute the Will.

There are many grounds upon which the validity of Wills or the terms in a Will can be contested, challenged or disputed. For example, a Will might be contested under the Inheritance Act because it fails to provide for you even though you depended on the deceased financially when he or she was alive.

The area of law concerned with challenging, contesting, disputing or objecting to Wills, questioning the validity of a Will, or challenging / contesting how an inheritance is distributed in the absence of a Will, is known as contentious probate.

A firm with experience in contesting Wills or defending Will Disputes and Inheritance Act claims where the validity of a Will is in dispute

SheridanLaw Solicitors, based in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, and representing clients throughout Surrey and London, has experience in representing clients where there is a dispute, disagreement, challenge or objection to a Will or to the distribution of the assets in an Estate where there is not a Will.

SheridanLaw has built up a wealth of knowledge and expertise in contesting wills and Inheritance Act claims.

There are several ways in which a Will could be challenged or disputed. Examples where SheridanLaw, from its Kingston upon Thames Surrey location, is able to contest a will include:

Failure to provide / Unfair Wills (Inheritance Act Claims). A Will can be contested or challenged on the ground that it excludes, or fails to make adequate provision for, certain categories of people who feel they ought to have been provided for in the Will (for example, a wife who has been left out of her husband's will). This is known as an Inheritance Act claim

Lack of Mental Capacity. Contesting a will because the person who made it lacked the mental capacity to make a Will.

Undue influence.A Will can be disputed or challenged because the deceased was improperly and unduly influenced when the Will was made.

Failure to follow correct process. Contesting a will because of discrepancies or irregularities in the way it was prepared or signed.

Fraud or forgery. A Will can be disputed or challenged because it is fraudulent or a forgery.

Absence of Knowledge and approval. A Will can be opposed because the deceased did not understand and approve the Will.

Lack of Testamentary intention. A document can be challenged or disputed on the basis that the document was never intended by the deceased to be a Will.

Contradicting a promise. A Will can be disputed or challenged because it contradicts a promise or commitment that the deceased made about the Will before passing away.

SheridanLaw is also able to represent individuals where a solicitor or other professional has been negligent in drafting a Will.

Contesting Will time limits vary depending on the precise nature of the claim. It is therefore important that you contact SheridanLaw as soon as you believe you may have a claim in relation to a disputed Will or inheritance.

We have considerable experience representing spouses (wives or husbands) left out of their spouses will under no win no fee agreements. If you are a wife left out of your husband's will (this often occurs with a second wife excluded from the will) contact us as soon as possible to see how we can help.

A law firm that is committed to getting the best results for its clients who are contesting a will or bringing or defending an Inheritance Act claim

When we represent clients in contentious probate and contesting will disputes we leave no stone unturned to get the best results for our clients. We deal sensitively with all issues that arise, and in most cases we are able to settle contests about wills without the need for a trial.

Wife left out of husband's will: we have special expertise and experience in bringing cases on behalf of a wife who has been left out of her husband's will (or vice versa) and on behalf of unmarried partners who are left out of their partner's will.

If you would like to discuss a matter that concerns you about the Will or estate of a person who has recently died, then please telephone us in our Kingston upon Thames office on 020 8541 1181 or email us at mail@sheridanlaw.co.uk