Hayley Bundey, a specialist inheritance and trust disputes solicitor, has been successful in challenging an invalid Will.
It was a complex case involving heated dispute between siblings over the validity of their parent’s Will. There was strong disagreement over the factual background concerning the role that each had played in their parent’s care and the updating of the Will when the parent was unwell.
The protracted case was settled out of court at mediation after seemingly being destined to go to trial.
Even at the mediation the prospects of getting a settlement over the line remained in the balance until deep into the afternoon when a change in the mechanism of settlement put forward by Hayley was taken on board.
After the mediation Hayley commented, ‘This was a case where thinking outside of the box really helped and where the benefit of having a specialist solicitor, experienced in challenging a Will, made all the difference.’
Hayley’s client was pleased to have reached a negotiated settlement and relieved that the stress of the case had been lifted from their shoulders.
Hayley acted on a no win, no fee basis in this case, which meant that her client did not have to worry about funding legal fees upfront.
Settling such claims out of court can sometimes be tricky. The legal validity of a Will is black and white, in the sense that if the dispute goes to trial the court will either declare the Will to be valid, or invalid, with no middle ground. Naturally the parties themselves often tend to also view the case in these terms, which can make it difficult to help the parties find common ground and avoid the stress, uncertainty, and costs of taking a case to trial.
However, Hayley and her colleagues in our contentious trusts and probate team have an enviable track-record of resolving even the most difficult and entrenched invalid Will cases through the use of mediation.
If you would like a free consultation to discuss how our expert lawyers can help you with challenging an invalid will on a No Win, No Fee basis then contact our free helpline.
