Estate administration disputes
Disagreements about how an estate is being valued, divided or wound up.
How we can help
- Resolving disputes over asset valuations and property sales
- Advising on the intestacy rules where there is no valid will
- Untangling jointly held assets and severed tenancies
- Dealing with missing beneficiaries and unclaimed shares
- Advising on lifetime gifts and whether they must be brought into account
- Mediating between family members to avoid litigation
What happens next
- Tell us what is in dispute and who is involved.
- We advise on the legal position and where the disagreement is actually resolvable.
- We negotiate or mediate, and litigate only where there is no alternative.
Fees for this work
Charged hourly with an estimate at the outset. Mediation is usually far cheaper than proceedings and we will suggest it where suitable.
Common questions
There's no will. Who inherits?
The intestacy rules set a fixed order, and it may not match what anyone expected. Unmarried partners inherit nothing under intestacy however long the relationship, which is the single most common shock.
We can't agree on the house valuation.
Independent valuations, and if necessary a jointly instructed valuer, usually resolve this far more cheaply than litigating it.
Someone received money before death. Does it count?
It may need to be brought into account against their share, depending on the terms of the will or the circumstances of the gift.
Can we just agree something different?
Yes. A deed of variation within two years of death allows beneficiaries to redirect their entitlements, sometimes with inheritance tax advantages.
Tell us what's happened
Confidential, reviewed by a solicitor, answered within one working day.