Meet our team of inheritance dispute solicitors and lawyers
We have one of the largest teams of inheritance dispute solicitors and lawyers in England and Wales.
Our team specialises exclusively in inheritance disputes and contested Will cases. And because they don’t ‘dabble’ in other areas of law, they are genuine experts in this very complex legal field, where it pays to have an experienced specialist on your side.
Each member of our eight strong team of inheritance dispute solicitors and lawyers featured here devotes 100% of their time to dealing with contentious probate law. You therefore know when you appoint one of them to represent you, that you are getting a true expert.
The team is led by Naomi Ireson. Naomi, a leading contentious probate lawyer who is recommended by The Legal 500, has taken many cases all the way to a contested trial. Her successes include the important Court of Appeal case of Ely —v— Robson and the case of Williams —v— Praine. She has handled a number of high-profile disputes and represented the partner of a man featured in the Sunday Times Rich List.
Solicitor and partner, Chris Holten, who joined the team in 2014, specialises in claims made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, and has an excellent track record of success, especially at mediation. The Legal 500 notes Chris’s experience in bringing claims on behalf of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Partner Hayley Bundey is another long-serving member of the team and another solicitor to feature in The Legal 500. The 2024 edition described Hayley as, ‘’simply, an undoubted professional, showing compassion during what is a very upsetting time.’ Hayley specialises in beneficial interest claims involving proprietary estoppel and was solicitor for the claimant in the TOLATA case of Smith —v— Fraser before His Honour Judge Monty QC. Hayley’s expertise is reflected by the fact that she is a member of ACTAPS (the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists).
David Lees is a former police-detective-turned-solicitor who now puts his forensic skills to use dealing with inheritance disputes, including those involving assets in both England and Scotland. He specialises in trustee and executor disputes. Also on the team are solicitors Anya Hoyland, Helen Clegg, Jack Dray, and Bronte Pettifer. Helen is a vastly experienced solicitor who has recently joined us from another firm, as have Jack and Bronte, while Anya trained with us and knew from an early stage that she wanted to specialise in contentious probate cases, especially trust disputes.
The team is very ably supported by a number of paralegal and trainee members of staff who aspire to go on and qualify as a practitioner in this fascinating area of law themselves.