A contested will can cause a great deal of distress and division within families at what is already a stressful and upsetting time. All the more reason to call on our experienced specialist professionals who can provide clear guidance, practical advice and strong support to help you achieve the best possible solution under difficult circumstances.
Whether you feel the need to contest a loved one’s will – perhaps you have been inadequately provided for, or left out completely – or as an executor you are dealing with another’s attempt to challenge a will, our experienced and approachable legal specialists can help.
When can a will be contested?
If you act quickly, within six months of the granting of probate, it is usually possible to challenge a will if you can prove it is unfair. Of course, this is often not as easy as it sounds, and what may seem unfair to one party may seem perfectly acceptable to another – so the fairness of a will is judged against established criteria designed to offer clear guidance to the disputing parties.
A will may be contested if it can be proved undue pressure or influence was exerted on the will-maker, or if there are grounds to believe the will-maker lacked full mental capacity at the time of writing the will.
Any evidence of fraud – a forged signature, or signs the will has been tampered with, for example – may constitute good reason to challenge the document’s validity; a will may also be deemed invalid if it was drawn up incorrectly or is in breach of current legislation.
And if a will fails to make adequate provision for a dependant – a child, for example, or a current or former spouse, civil partner, cohabitee or other dependant – it may be possible to challenge it under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
How can we help with contested wills or probate?
However you are caught up in a wills, probate or inheritance dispute, we are on your side.
Our knowledgeable team will advise you on the most appropriate course of action from the start, including any action that may be needed to preserve disputed assets before the estate is distributed.
Whenever possible, we will seek to resolve your case without the distress and expense of going to court and, by communicating regularly and in plain English, we will make sure you remain firmly in control of the process every step of the way.
Why choose us?
Our dispute resolution team has a wealth of experience in all manner of disputed matters. We pride ourselves on getting to know our clients personally and forging the strong relationships we believe are essential in order to represent your best interests in everything we do.
You can count on our dispute resolution lawyers for consistently excellent top-quality advice and support at all times and, as a valued client of our leading full-service law firm, you will have access to extensive and dependable legal and financial expertise from professionals you already know you can trust.
Getting started
Whatever your concerns, contact us as soon as possible – timely advice, given in confidence, can make all the difference.
Our respected team can also help with the full range of wills and probate services including will-writing, inheritance tax, grant of probate and deeds of variation, while our fully-qualified financial advisors can provide you with professional investment advice.
To find out how our expert dispute resolution team can help, call us on 01243 786668 or click here. Alternatively, you can email us at info@georgeide.co.uk or contact us directly using the details shown.
George Ide LLP. We’re on your side
Contact our dispute resolution team
For further information about any of our services or to book a no-obligation consultation, call us on 01243 786668, email the dispute resolution team at info@georgeide.co.uk, click here, or contact us directly using the details shown.
Client Testimonials
Hello Paul. The money has arrived safely thanks. May I say a very big thank you for your excellent service on this case you have been incredibly upfront and honest and have dealt with my case with superb attentiveness. It was frustrating for me at times as it took a long time to get it concluded, but I do appreciate the effort on your part. Many thanks again.
Luke Leleu
Paul Lewis
I really appreciate your work in this matter, including all of the updates and advice, everything has been so smooth. I will recommend you to my clients. Hollie Redman
Paul Lewis
I just wanted to drop you a quick email to thank you for all you have done for us regarding our daughter’s burn. You made the process a lot less scary for her so thank you for that and we are pleased with the outcome. Your professionalism and care for our daughter throughout was very much appreciated by us all.
Beth Huxley
Paul Lewis
Hi Paul. Thank you for your email and all your help over the past 2 years you’ve been fantastic and I would highly recommend you to anyone, I will of course let you no when I revive the funds and couldn’t be happier with the outcome. Kind regards,
Sam Halliwell
Paul Lewis
On a personal note : Thanks for everything you have done, some may say you are just doing your job but the support you offered both in the structure you set up to get me fit again, as well as the emotional counsel you gave got me through one of the most difficult and frightening situations I had dealt with to date. I will certainly be highly recommending you to anyone else that needs such a service. You are a great asset to the firm and hope they know that!
Simon Horn
Paul Lewis
Thank you for your email and thank you so much for your help with it all. You have dealt with everything brilliantly so as not to cause me any stress or worry so thank you.
Rachel Cook
Paul Lewis
Dear Mr Lewis. First of all I would like to say a huge thank you to you and your team about the hard work, time and money which you spent to deal with my claim. I agree with you that the settlement is reasonable enough and I know that you’ve did your best to get it.
Plamen Krastev
Paul Lewis
Dear Paul. Thank you so much for negotiating a satisfactory sum (exactly as you had predicted) and I am very grateful to have had the benefit of your excellent service throughout this ordeal. Horrid though it was, your expertise and guidance were of immense help. We can now happily put this whole thing behind us and finally move on. With very warm thanks and best wishes.
Michael Tudor
Paul Lewis
I have received the final settlement cheque and I am happy with this. Thanks again for your services. You’ve been excellent in every way. I would recommend you to anyone. Thanks.
Fazal Mahmood Chishty
Paul Lewis
I would just like to say that it has been an absolute pleasure working with you over the last few years and thank you so much for all your help and support. You have been fantastic. You have certainly been more helpful than I could have possibly hoped.
Sarah Finley
Paul Lewis
On April 9th 2010 it was my turn to be involved in a traffic accident with an uninsured driver. Although my injury was only a minor back injury, I wanted to be able to claim some sort of compensation if only for some treatment of physiotherapy. George Ide LLP, appointed by my insurance company, have been absolutely superb in representing my claim for personal injury against the Motor Insurance Bureau. With the expertise of Paul Lewis, Head of Accident Management, he has managed to increase the original offer made by the MIB almost threefold. It has been a long process, as Paul advised from the outset, but has been worthwhile and rewarding. I do hope that I do not need to use Paul’s expertise ever again, but know that if I do I would be in the hands of a very capable and friendly team.
Ms H
Paul Lewis
Dear Paul, Please accept this email as confirmation that I have received the cheque and final settlement from the accident. I wanted to thank you very much for all your help and advice throughout the case and want you to know that your efficiency and effort s have been very much appreciated. Kind regards,
Michael
Paul Lewis
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