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.
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Right from the beginning of my journey to claim for compensation for my injuries after being knocked off my bike by a car driver, Paul Lewis has been a tower of strength. His advice, guidance and care in ensuring my claim proceeded smoothly has been First Class. Always promptly keeping me informed of progress by email. A friendly, compassionate listening ear when needed to my worries and concerns. Helping and guiding me every step of the way. I have received the best possible advice throughout, resulting in an excellent outcome, expertly and tenaciously negotiated for me by Paul. Thank You.
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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
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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,
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Following a very traumatic car accident I found myself in the extremely capable hands of Paul Lewis.
He spent time explaining the legal procedures and helped me through every step of my very stressful personal injury claim. Thank you for all you have done for me, you were fantastic.”
Ms L
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Paul hi,
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Damon
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Just to confirm the safe receipt of the settlement money into my account,and also want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work not just regarding the fee but also treatment wich help me getting in track with normal life after the accident. Again many thanks for all your hard work.
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Thank you for all your effort and excellent advice and work in this matter. It’s very much appreciated and I will certainly use you and your firm again in the future should I require legal services.
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