Rob Weston

People often ask on what "Contentious Probate" means. A brief summary is set out below: a) Concerns over the validity of the Will. For example, that the Deceased did not have the mental capacity to make a Will, wasn't aware of the contents,...

In the recent case of Re Williams (Deceased) [2012[ EWHC 586 (Ch) (16 th of March 2021) it was determined that the lack of knowledge and approval by the Testator justified the Court upholding the validity of the Will with deletions. The Judge found that...

In the recent case of Re: BRUNT – DECEASED [2021] the High Court have ordered a re-trial where it was alleged that a Will had been forged. The High Court found that the Judge had not dealt properly with the evidence before him when he made an Order...

In our latest online Q&A, partner and head of our contentious probate department Robert Weston covers the often-complex issues of caveats around a deceased person’s estate and the key facts you need to know. First and foremost, a caveat should...

When a person dies, one of the first questions to be asked is what happens to the body of the Deceased. In the vast majority of cases a deceased person’s body cannot be owned and so certain categories of people are given the responsibility to...

We receive several enquiries from beneficiaries to an estate where they believe the personal representative of the estate is not forthcoming with information or their entitlement. Do personal representatives need to keep beneficiaries informed and what...

Many practitioners in England and Wales have seen an influx of clients looking to update their Wills in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many will be pleased that Wills are finally getting the attention they deserve, practitioners must take care to...

Proprietary Estoppel: How to protect against ruinous disputes over property and broken promises. In our latest blog, partner Robert Weston covers the sad case of a grandmother who lost her home following an expensive court battle with her daughter,...

“No win, no fee” sounds like a win-win situation, a good and honest deal – and in certain cases it can be. The implication is that if you lose the case, then you don’t owe anyone anything for trying. If you win, you walk away with the...