Clare Kelly, Partner
The choices which people make about their estates can be surprising, hurtful and unfair. Generally speaking a person is free to leave his estate as he wishes and Courts are reluctant to overturn the wishes of a testator...

David Wedgwood, Partner
Contested Wills cases have risen dramatically in recent years. In 2009, there were 110 cases that came to a trial in the High Court, compared to 80 the previous year, and just 10 in 2006. The reason for this increase is not clear...

Tom Henry, Trainee Solicitor
A caveat is a written notice given by someone (the caveator) which is filed at court to prevent probate being granted. The entry of the caveat prevents the grant of probate being issued with the caveator first being consulted, or being allowed to make representation to Court about the matter...

Sue Jackson, Trainee Solicitor
The recent reported challenge to the Will of Malcolm McLaren, the creator of the Sex Pistols, highlights the need to avoid challenges by family members and others by ensuring the Will is made correctly...

Christopher McNeill, Solicitor
Overseas (Journal of the Royal Over-Seas League) - June-August 2009
Now that the nil rate band (NRB) for paying inheritance tax (IHT) has increased to £325,000, and it produces less than 1% of annual revenue, it can no longer be viewed as a wealth tax...