Legacies
Protecting your income and reputation
Working with legacies requires strategic thinking coupled with a sensitive approach. Our team is the largest outside London, supporting over 500 charities of all sizes to help ensure the outcome the legacy donor has intended.
A complete service
From large household names to smaller local charities, we advise on all of the issues charities may be faced with concerning their legacy income.
We are known as leading experts when it comes to resolving legacy disputes for charities, solving problems in the administration of estates in which charities have an interest and statutory will applications. We can cover any issue that may arise and with a specialist team of 4 partners, 2 associates and 4 solicitors working with our broader charity team across all disciplines, we offer unrivalled strength in depth to our charity clients.
Our approach is pragmatic. Our advice is clear, strategic and focussed. We are experienced in handling the publicity that can attach to legacy disputes.
We resolve the vast majority of our cases for charities without the risk and expense of a court hearing. In the few cases where this has not been possible, we have a strong track record and acted for charities in several of the leading decisions in this field. Examples of our work include:
| Ilott v Blue Cross | The Supreme Court's first ever ruling on claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, where we acted for the successful appellant charities. |
| King v Dubrey | The leading case on gifts made in contemplation of death (donations mortis causa) where we acted for the successful appellant charities. |
| RNLI v Headley | This decision provides clear guidance on the requirement for trustees to provide accounts to beneficiaries. We acted for the successful charity applicants. |
| Kell v Jones | When can a solicitor's mistake in drafting a will be fixed by rectification, and when must the solicitor pay damages to remedy the problem? We acted for the successful defendant charities. |
We have been corporate members of the Institute of Legacy Management since it began, and every solicitor in our team is a full or associate member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).
