Disputed Wills Solicitors

Lawyers Specialising in Inheritance Claims and Contested Probate

After someone dies, their Will may give cause for concern. This could be because someone was left out or inherited less than they feel they should have. It could also be because you do not think that the will itself is actually valid. Regardless of the reason, if you believe you may be entitled to make a claim against an estate or challenge a Will, you really should speak to our Disputed Wills Solicitors soon as you can.

At Bonallack & Bishop, our solicitors regularly act for clients in this area of law, sometimes referred to as contentious or contested probate. We can advise you of your rights and take steps to ensure that they are enforced.

This is a complex area of law and you are strongly recommended to use solicitors with plenty of experience. Our disputed Wills solicitors have dealt with this kind of work for many years with a proven track record of success in both challenging and resisting attempts to dispute Wills.

We also represent clients in respect of other types of inheritance claims, such as where the deceased did not leave a Will.

Thinking of challenging a will? Our highly experienced team offer FREE initial phone advice with no strings attached. Call on FREEPHONE 0800 1404544 now.

What are the grounds for contesting a Will?

There are many reasons for disputed Wills. They include:

· The Will was not correctly drafted

· The document was not properly signed and witnessed

· Undue influence was used to encourage the deceased to make and sign the Will

· Someone poisoned the deceased’s mind against another individual

· The deceased did not have mental capacity

· The deceased did not make reasonable financial provision for someone close to them

· The deceased had made a promise to someone that they did not keep

· A solicitor was negligent in the drafting

· The Will is fraudulent

· The Will has been revoked

· A later Will exists

· Disputes over the estate aministration

· The Will has been hidden or destroyed

The Will was not correctly drafted

Sometimes a Will was not have been correctly drafted. For example, the deceased asked for certain provisions to be made, but they were not included. Or it could be the case that a mistake was made with regard to the signature and execution. These kind of mistakes are particularly common with DIY Wills – when someone attempts to do their own will based on one they found on the Internet or using a “LawPack Last Will & Testament Kit” from W H Smith.

The Will was not properly signed and witnessed

There are very strict rules which apply to the signing of a Will. It needs to be witnessed by two witnesses who should not be beneficiaries or related to beneficiaries.

The witnesses should usually be present together and should see each other sign. They should add their names, addresses and occupations. Nothing should be added to the document or stapled to it.

If it is not properly signed and witnessed, you could end up with a completely invalid will i.e. it’s as if the deceased person never left a will at all.

Undue influence was used to encourage the deceased to make and sign the Will

You may also be able to contest the Will if the deceased was forced or encouraged into making or changing it. This could be a last minute change or an unexpected change which alters the Will to benefit the person suspected of influencing the deceased.

It may be that the deceased was particularly vulnerable at the time of suspected coercion, for example, they were unwell or isolated from others.

It could be that the changes contradict what the deceased had previously said they wanted to happen after their death. Or that it seems unlikely the deceased would have made the Will they did without being unduly influenced.

The person involved in influencing the deceased might be someone in a position of trust, such as their partner, child or carer. To mount a successful challenge in these circumstances, you will need to show that the deceased was not likely to have made this Will if it had not been for that “undue influence.”

Someone poisoned the deceased’s mind against another individual

If someone told the deceased lies about you and the deceased then left you less than they otherwise would have done, you may also have grounds for contesting a will.

This is still often described using a very old-fashioned sounding phrase – “fraudulent calumny.” While it is not easy to prove, you will have to show that:

· You were an existing or potential beneficiary to the deceased’s estate

· One or more false statement were made to the deceased about your character

· The individual making the false representations knew that they were not true or was reckless as to whether they were true (i.e. they didn’t care whether or not what they were saying was true)

· The false representation was made to persuade the deceased to disinherit you or leave you less or leave more to the person making the false representations

· These false representations persuaded the deceased to change their Will

To succeed with this type of claim, you will need to prove your case on what is referred to as “the balance of probabilities.” This means that the court must believe that it is more likely than not that this is what happened.

The deceased did not have the mental capacity to make a Will

Another ground for disputed wills is lack of sufficient mental capacity. Sometimes people making a will simply don’t understand exactly what they are doing. And if they did not have what is referred to as “sufficient mental capacity” that could be another reason to declare invalid.

To have the mental capacity to make a Will, the individual needs to:

· Understand what making a Will means and the implications of signing

· Know the extent of their estate, which means that they know what assets they own

· Know who they can choose as beneficiaries and why they want to leave something to them

· Not have any mental problems that impair their judgment

· Understand the contents of the Will they have signed

To challenge a Will on these grounds, you would need evidence of the deceased’s mental abilities at the time they signed their Will. That’s not always easy.
Click here to find out more about Challenging a Will for Lack of Mental Capacity

Disputed Wills -not making reasonable financial provision for someone close to the deceased

If the deceased did not make reasonable financial provision for a family member or dependant, it may be possible to make an inheritance claim against the estate.

The relevant act is the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. It provides that certain individuals may be able to ask for reasonable financial provision if they have not inherited anything or have not inherited enough to support them.

Those entitled to make a claim are:

· The spouse or civil partner of the deceased

· The former spouse or civil partner of the deceased, provided they have not remarried or entered into another civil partnership

· Someone who was cohabiting with the deceased in the two years leading up to their death

· A child of the deceased

· Someone whom the deceased treated as their child

· Anyone else whom the deceased was maintaining financially, either wholly or partially, before their death

Being “maintained” includes receiving regular financial payments or less frequent larger gifts of money. It can also include the provision of housing and allowing someone to live in a property without paying rent or paying below market rent.

The court will look at the following issues in deciding the case:

· The claimant’s financial needs and available financial resources

· The needs and resources of anyone else involved, including beneficiaries and other potential claimants

· The obligations and responsibilities that the deceased had towards the claimant

· The size of the estate

· Any physical or mental disability that the claimant has

· Any other relevant facts, which could include conduct, both of the claimant and the deceased

Most claimants can only claim a reasonable financial provision. In the case or a spouse or civil partner however, a larger claim may be considered by the court. The award could be in line with what they might have been entitled to receive in a divorce.

These kind of inheritance claims have become increasingly common in recent years.

The deceased had made a promise to someone that they did not keep

In certain cases, it may be possible to make a disputed Wills claim against an estate if the deceased made a promise that was not kept in their Will. This needs to be more than a simple conversation suggesting an asset will be left to someone. You will need to prove:

· That a promise or assurance was given to leave you something

· You relied on that promise or assurance

· You have suffered a loss as a result

By way of example, if someone was promised the family farm after a death and worked for the farm on this basis, they could have a valid claim. Without the assurance of their inheritance, they could have trained for a different, more highly paid career. It could also be the case that they worked for many years at a salary that was below the market rate because they believed that one day they would be left the farm. This would establish that they have suffered a loss or detriment because of their reliance on the promise.

But to succeed with this kind of claim, you will need solid proof – enough, in the end, to persuade a court of your case if the challenge goes that far.

Disputed wills – where a solicitor was negligent when drafting the document

You may be able to bring a claim for professional negligence against a solicitor if the Will was badly drafted or not drafted at all.

And this involves one good reason for using a solicitor to draft your will in the 1st place. That’s because if they get it wrong, the professional indemnity insurance they must carry should make sure that there is enough cash available to pay any compensation you are awarded. That’s obviously not the case if you draft your own will – and is often not the case if non-qualified will writers prepare your will – as many of them simply don’t have the kind of insurance that could cover this kind of claim.

Our experienced team handle professional negligence claims against solicitors regularly. The team is led by member of the Professional Negligence Lawyers Association.

We can advise you as to whether you have a valid claim for professional negligence and discuss bringing a case against the solicitor in question. You will need to prove that:

· You were owed is referred to as “a duty of care” by the solicitor

· This duty of care was breached, for example, because they did not exercise reasonable care and skill or because their conduct fell below that which a reasonable professional would be expected to provide

· You suffered a loss because of this failure

Examples of professional negligence that could give rise to a valid claim include:

· Not including the deceased’s express wishes in the Will

· Poor drafting meaning that the Will is ambiguous or does not include what the deceased intended

· Not checking that the document had been correctly executed

· Not taking care to ensure that the deceased had mental capacity to make a Will

· Not explaining the financial implications of signing, for example, in respect of tax

· A delay in preparing the document if the deceased died before the Will could be signed

Click here to read more about making a Professional Negligence Claim

The Will is fraudulent

Disputed Wills may be fraudulent. This is where deception, dishonesty or misrepresentation has been used to achieve a financial gain or deprive someone financially.

Examples include:

· The deceased was persuaded to sign a Will without knowing what it was

· The signature of the deceased was forged

· The deceased was given false information to persuade them to make the Will

· A Will was destroyed

You will need to have strong evidence to support allegations of fraud. This could include witness statements, evidence from the deceased’s solicitor and expert reports, for example in respect of a potentially forged signature.

The Will has been revoked

Revocation is simply the cancelling of the will by the person making it. Revocation occurs in a number of ways:

· The Will is destroyed with the intention of revoking it

· A new Will is made

· The person who made it signs a statement saying that the Will is revoked

· The person who made the Will gets married or enters into a civil partnership

If a Will is missing, then it is presumed that the testator, or person who made the Will, has destroyed the Will. To be revoked by destroying it, the testator must intend to revoke the Will and must destroy it themselves or ask someone else to do it in their presence.

In some circumstances, a potential claim could be made if a Will was destroyed but the deceased had not intended to revoke it.

It may also be possible to claim that a Will has been revoked, for example, if the deceased had written down their intention to revoke that will.

A later Will exists

A Will generally includes a revocation clause stating that it revokes any earlier Will. This means that once a new Will is in place, the earlier one is simply replaced.

If there are questions over why the deceased made a new Will or there are unexpected surprises in the new Will, this could raise questions of potential undue influence or fraud. If the new Will should be declared invalid for any reason, the earlier Will generally takes effect.

Disputed Wills – problems with the administration of the estate

Dispute can also arise over the actual administration of a Will – the process of probate where all the deceased person’s debts are paid and assets collected in and distributed according to the will.

These kind of disputes can occur for various reasons, including:

· The person responsible for winding up the estate is not doing so or is moving very slowly

· The person responsible for winding up the estate is not acting in the best interests of the beneficiaries

· There are questions about the conduct of the person dealing with the estate. For example, they are selling assets at less than their worth, misusing estate assets or failing to account to the beneficiaries for the estate assets

The Will has been hidden or destroyed

It is actually a criminal offence to destroy someone’s Will. If you suspect that this has happened, you should seek legal advice.

If the Will is being held by someone and they won’t release it, a solicitor can arrange for a special court order called a “subpoena” to be served on them, requiring it to be produced to the court. This will include penalties for failing to do so.

If there is evidence of the contents of a missing Will, for example, a solicitor’s file from when the Will was written, it may be possible to apply to the court for this to be accepted as evidence of the deceased’s wishes.

Disputed Wills – Warning signs that there may be an issue

If you are worried about the validity of a Will, you may see one or more of the following warning signs:

· A Will made unexpectedly or just before death

· Unexpected provisions in a Will

· Someone has been written out of a Will for no apparent reason

· An unusual addition of a beneficiary, such as someone who has recently come into the deceased’s life and has had influence over them

· A handwritten document

· A Will found in an unexpected location after death, i.e. not at the deceased’s solicitor’s premises, nor at the deceased’s home

· No provision made for someone you would expect to inherit, such as a spouse or child

· A Will has disappeared, but you had been assured that there was one

Instructing disputed Wills solicitors

If you have grounds for challenging a Will or the way that an estate is being dealt with after someone’s death, you are strongly advised to speak to solicitors with plenty of experience in this area. Proving a Will is invalid is usually complicated and it’s really important to get the right solicitor with the right level of experience.

It’s also a good idea to get legal advice at an early stage. Firstly it is usually easier to collect evidence at an early stage – before documents are lost or memories fade. And there are strict time limits for starting a claim. For example, if you wish to make a claim for reasonable financial provision because you relied on the deceased to support you, you only have six months from the date on which probate is granted.

Because of this short and very strict time limit, your solicitor may need to take immediate action to safeguard your claim. They can make an application for what is known as a “caveat” at the Probate Registry in some circumstances. This is a restriction that stops a Grant of Probate from being issued for six months and could safeguard your claim. A Grant of Probate is the legal document that gives authority to the estate’s executor to deal with the deceased’s financial affairs.

Involving experienced disputed wills solicitors early on can and also stop a situation from escalating. We can step in on your behalf to try and resolve matters out of court, which is generally a faster and more cost-effective solution. Application to court is often expensive and slow – it may be necessary but is often the last resort in resolving any dispute.

How to resolve your Wills dispute

These kind of disputes can be long-running and bitter if they are not carefully managed. We always warn clients of the likely effect on friends and family members of this kind of dispute. Sometimes it splits families permanently – almost certainly the very last thing the deceased would have actually wanted.

We always take steps to try and deal with these kind of disagreements early on so that you can move on from this difficult situation after the death of a loved one.

Sometimes just a carefully-worded letter from you solicitor can produce an agreement.

Where this is not the case, we can enter into negotiations on your behalf to try and find common ground. If this fails, we can advise you on methods of alternative dispute resolution such as mediation. This involves the use of a neutral person who will work to try and find a solution without the need for a court case.

Mediation is usually faster than litigation and almost always less costly. It can also help prevent a relationship from deteriorating further. We can prepare your case for mediation where necessary and ensure that you have the support and representation that you need.

Litigation for Disputed Wills?

Where it’s simply not possible to deal with a dispute out of court, we can prepare a robust case to put before a judge.

The litigation process involves the following stages:

· The pre-action stage when documents are exchanged and the case is stated

· The issuing of the claim, which could be followed by a defence and in some cases a counterclaim

· A case management conference and a costs conference, where the court sets out a plan for how the case will be dealt with

· Disclosure of documents, to include exchange of witness statements and expert evidence

· The final hearing

It is still possible to reach a negotiated settlement at any point up until the outcome of the final hearing.

And do be aware of the risks and litigation –the party that loses will often be liable for the reasonable legal costs of the other side.

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Liam and the team have been a fantastic support and have helped me enormously. Continually kept me in the loop at all times and have always been happy to simplify things and answer my basic questions!I would highly recommend Bonallack & Bishop to anyone who needs a solicitor!

Richard Williams

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Greta Whitaker and the team provided an excellent service in relation to a lease extension.Update - almost a year later I contacted Bonallack & Bishop for what I thought would be a simple task of verifying my ID. After two emails, two phone calls and well over a week I've not had a single unprompted response and have eventually had to go elsewhere. Hence the rating has been downgraded from five stars to three stars.

David triandafilou

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Dinshaw Printer quickly became a trusted adviser that helped me through some difficult times. His knowledge of the divorce process and the effects of the military pension are exceptional. Honest, direct and always putting my best interests as a priority. I hope my friends never have to go through a divorce, but if they do I would absolutely recommend Dinshaw with Bonallack & Bishop Solicitors..

millsy4606

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Fantastic Service from this company especially from Liam Oliver. Everything was explained clearly regarding the process of divorce and financial settlements nor did i feel pressured into making any snap decisions. Highly recommend this firm.

Rachel Bowditch

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I've just sold a property & received a great service from Maria & Jenny at the Amesbury office. Very helpful, friendly & professional. The process was very smooth & speedy. And the fee was less than originally quoted. Would definitely recommend.

Alan Ramsdale

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I was very pleased with Clare Cox's work on the administration of my late father's estate, for which she did all the work on my behalf as executor. She more than earned her firm's fee with her expert legal knowledge, which was of great benefit to his estate.

Jan Turpin

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Very happy with the advice and professionalism of the Solicitor, Mr Simon Speed, when compiling our wills. The cost was reasonable and any queries were dealt with by return (email/phone). Would certainly recommend Bonallack & Bishop, based on our experience.

Michael Ford

1720175814

Simon Speed was excellent and re-assuring to ourselves, when renewing our wills, which were in need of a comprehensive review, as they were almost twenty years old.He gave sound advice at all times and allowed ourselves to become confident that this ultimate decision had been handled both professionally and sensitively.

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Dinshaw expertly and efficiently guided me through a complex and difficult process with his diverse experience and eclectic knowledge. Dinshaw and his assistant Gemma, highly recommend.

Rachel Wedderburn

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I have had reason to consult Carl Raybould at Bonallack Bishop in Salisbury over a property and boundary issue in which he was very knowledgeable and supportive, his advice helped me get a situation to court.I recently had to seek advice for the court hearing as Carl is not a criminal lawyer he gave me detailed advice and instruction for the date. He got back to me by phone quickly and has answered emails very fast which is not the reality with all solicitors.I highly recommend Carl Raybould his advice is mindful and he cautioned me regarding the importance of getting quotes before proceeding with a barrister. I will always give this practice and Carl a call in future for any problem.

Christian Matheou

1717587455

I can't comment on the technical nuance, but I unfortunately did find the customer service fairly lacking. I worked with them in order to extend my lease, and they originally had said the process would take 3 - 6 months, but it took over a year, and throughout the process, I would have to chase them for updates - they would usually ignore the first one, and respond to the second (one or two weeks later). They did successfully complete the process; however, I have contacted them asking whether I'll receive any paperwork confirming completion, and have yet to receive any response - it's been two months, and I've emailed them three times. Really disappointing, given how expensive the whole process is.Edit: Following the review, I did receive a follow-up, which helped clarify things and move forward. I appreciated their quick response to following feedback.

Andy H

1716468502

Dinshaw Printer of Bonallack and Bishop Solicitors was superb in handling of all aspects of my recent divorce. Providing succinct balanced advice, in a highly efficient manner, he has an intricate understanding of divorce proceedings with the knack of making the complex simple. My only regret was not instructing him at an earlier date. I would have no hesitation in recommending him and Bonallack and Bishop Solicitors.

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Fantastic service from start to finish. Liam was very knowledgeable and helped me with everything that I needed to achieve.

gillian avery

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Really good experience with Bonallack & Bishops. Very efficient and no hidden costs everything explained up front. Liam Oliver dealt with my case, he was always quick to reply and proactive in suggesting best way forward. Very professional.

Helen Reed

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The Amesbury branch staff were very friendly quick and efficient. I would highly recommend.

Caroline Dawe

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I have just revised my Will with Bonallack & Bishop. All done very quickly and efficiently. Thoroughly recommend

Sheila Dovey

1713204900

Simon Speed helped us to prepare our wills, he guided us through the process in a way that was very easy for us to understand, in a very professional and supportive manner. We want to give a special thanks to Coco who we had contact with, who made everything run smoothly thought the entire process . All the staff were very professional and welcoming, including the receptionist when we visited the office.Our whole experience was very positive.

Brian

1712846727

We had an easy time changing our wills with Simon Speed he put us at our ease all through the process and would like to thank him personally From Brian /Anne Coombs

Steph Everett

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We have just sold our house and received a great service from Jenny and Maria at Bonallock and Bishop. Very professional, helpful, friendly and approachable. They made the few bumps along the way easy to deal with and made our choices clear. Would thoroughly recommend their services.

Brian Plummer

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We appointed Bonnalack and Bishop to help sell our London flat. Helen Fish was our main point of contact. She was outstanding. She is professional, competent and helpful. The sale was not straightforward as it was part of a shared estate but Helen patiently steered us through the maze of issues and kept us fully informed at each stage of the process. We would certainly use the firm again if we needed conveyancing advice.

vivien pottle

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Helped me with the sale of my house. Very efficient and pleasant company. Kept me well informed and answered any questions I had very quickly. Would highly recommend

Nigel Hacking

1711640265

Simon Speed helped my wife and I with making new Mirror Wills. He was very informative and was able to give us great advice and everything was completed very rapidly and at a very reasonable cost. Highly recommended.

Martyn Smith

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I would like to thank Bonallack &Bishop for there excellent professional advice and help concerning my divorce and financial settlement they have guided me through all the paperwork and documentation that i have received and have been very pleased with there service from the day i approached then with now clue as how to proceed many thanks again for a wonderful service provided by you

sarbjeet singh

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Where do I begin I have never experienced such incompetence from a solicitor before the amount of time, effort and money wasted for completing a new home purchase which should be straight forward turned into a nightmare. Unfortunately I couldn’t use my existing solicitor for this purchase due to tight timelines and new build we were referred through a brokers panel meaning we were new customers. From the moment we engaged Helen we advised timelines are tight please if you can email/call whenever you need anything and we will prioritise your requests to avoid any delay. Our initial documents, ID and funds were sent within 24 hours but Helen failed to check wasting an entire week of critical time. Started off bad, and continued to get worse, the amount of documents required which changed each day made it extremely difficult to work with Helen causing so much stress and frustration to the point I asked for a clear list of requirements to proceed to local search request which again changed when all the documents were provided, this continued for 3 weeks to the point where our builder was going to pull out who had also not come across a solicitor who worked in this manner. In the end we gave up and moved to a different solicitors who understood our situation and was able to exchange within 3 weeks and completion in 5 weeks. If you do not want stress, time and money wasted for purchasing your next home I would stay very far away from this firm.

Andrew Milner

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I used Bonallack and Bishop to complete the purchase of the freehold of a property, through an application to Court. The legal process completed satisfactorily (delayed because of the Court system) but the communication from B&B was shocking. The legal team was difficult to get hold of, and did not provide any pro active updates on progress and costs incurred. One fee note was sent for a significant sum of money without any forewarning, another was not sent at all (the first time I knew about it was when credit control chased me). Altogether a frustrating experience that I am not going to willingly repeat

Howard George

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Sincere thanks to Bonallack and Bishop, and more specifically to Simon Speed and Coco Middleton, for their incredible professional knowledge and help managing my recent will and LPA applications. What was a very confusing and complicated matter for me, was dealt with efficiently, smoothly and helpfully.Having had numerous dealings with other Salisbury solicitors over the past 35 or so years and been universally disappointed, I have now been using Bonallack and Bishop for all my legal issues, such as house purchases/sales etc for a number of years with complete satisfaction.I cannot recommend them more highly.With sincere thanks, Howard George

colin hembrow

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We live in New Zealand and recently sold an apartment in the North West of England. We chose Bonallack & Bishop to represent us and conveyance of our property because we had previously engaged this company as our solicitors during the purchase in 2012.Helen Fish was the solicitor and we are very pleased with her performance, professionalism, attention to detail and advice during the conveyancing process.

Szilvia K

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Disappointing but not surprising.I presented a strong case to them and ask them to represent me. The receptionist, Debbie is a star. She listened carefully asked a lot of details and was very compassionate.However the firm chickened out. Maybe it was too much to chew or they very much rather cover the other side. Either way, it’s a lost chance for them to get the glory and the fame. I’m quite sure that eventually I’ll get justice, despite that this firm wasn’t interested to helping me.

Sue Carpenter

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I have just completed the sale of a flat, and am very happy with the conveyancing led by Africa Morante in the Salisbury office, with assistance from Claudia Newman. In the past I've often found solicitors patronising and economical with information, leaving me feeling I can't ask more questions. That was not the case with Africa or Claudia, who kept me informed and answered my questions swiftly, fully, and in a straightforward non-condescending manner. Africa's approach was professional and pragmatic, and she put a lot of effort into moving the sale forwards, avoiding getting stuck on unnecessary issues, and chasing outstanding matters. I'd definitely use Africa and the team again, and highly recommend them to others. Fees were reasonable and there were no hidden costs.

Sophia Dixon

1708636673

Great experience with these solicitors. They managed my lease extension for me, and were very helpful throughout. I worked mainly with Greta Whitaker, who was fantastic. She kept me completely informed the whole way through the process, handled everything well, and always made everything very clear for me. I would definitely use Greta and the Bonallack & Bishop team again.

Amy Louise

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Miss Langton and Mr Pownall have been nothing but professional and friendly throughout my time with them. Miss Langton has been an incredible listening ear. Both fully explained everything in depth and kept me in the loop at all times. I couldn’t recommend them enough. They remained extremely patient at all times and dealt with my situation in a very sensitive way. Their knowledge and expertise shines through all they do and say. I have been communicating with them for a number of years and can’t thank them enough for everything they have done.

Marcus Penson

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I used Bonallack & Bishop for my lease extension on a flat. I found them online and used them based on their reviews, and fast response for a quote.Jake Holmes covered the majority of the work, and I found him and the company very professional and easy to do deal with. Once the extension was completed I recommended them to a friend who also needed to go through a lease extension.

Craig Cattell

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Initially I hoped my divorce would be straight forward and chose B&B for their military pension issue experience; not just their discount for Forces.Things got complicated quite quickly and Liam from B&B Solicitors was agile enough to deal with all of these complications expertly. His sage advice and guidance kept me on the straight and narrow and I certainly would have not navigated the process without his skilled guidance.I'm not a frequent reviewer but I am very happy with the outcome and professional guidance.

Liamhan OKelly

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We used Bonallack & Bishop in our recent lease extension. Living overseas meant we had little knowledge of this process but our Solicitor Greta Whitaker guided us through each stage and answered all our questions both promptly and patiently!I would use Greta again for any legal work and would have no hesitation in recommending her.Thank you

Lana Kinley

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Great efficiency from Jake Holmes in renewing my lease on my leasehold property. Many thanks

Juliette Nicholson

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I needed a solicitor to guide me through a separation letter. I personally dealt with Mr Liam Oliver at the Salisbury branch.Mr Oliver was kind, sensitive to my needs and very thorough on the separation agreement.I would have no problem using Liam again with any other legal matter I might have.

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Its Vitalitie

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I had a positive experience with Bonallack & Bishop Solicitors. I found Greta to be extremely patient, thorough and knowledgeable. She made the process of my case stress free. Thank you Greta.

Patricia Stevens

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Thanks to Georgia Pointer and Hollie who both worked very hard to get the sale of my property over the line. Fantastic work by all involved. Finally completed sale today after an earlier hiccup. Would recommend this company to anyone who needs a good solicitor.Massive thank you again

Brian Lawrence

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Can thoroughly recommend Bonallack & Bishop for a friendly, professional and diligent service. Highly recommend.

Michael Swinburn

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Simon Speed provided excellent advice about our new wills ,and was happy to answer any questions .Thank you , Will be in touch next year .

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I found Bonallack & Bishop online while seeking to extend the lease on my flat. My initial contact was with William Parsons who explained the process clearly and concisely and provided an estimate of costs I was happy with before passing me to the lease extension team of Greta Whitaker and Kirsty Dables. I was very happy with the Greta’s handling of the process and was kept up to date on progress throughout. Would definitely recommend this firm to anyone seeking a lease renewal.

Carol Walton

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I would like to acknowledge the support and expertise of Bonallack and Bishop during my case. Throughout the process they were extremely accessible and kept me fully up to date on all relevant matters, I have no hesitation in recommending them to any prospective clients. Should the need arise they would certainly be my first choice.Carol walton18.9.2023

Evie MD

1694297537

Having had a very positive experience buying our house with the help of Bonallack & Bishop, we chose them again when it came to buying the freehold of our new property. Their service did not disappoint! Jake Holmes guided us through the process brilliantly, every step of the way, ensuring we had all the information we needed all of the time. He provided regular updates and ensured the process did not take any longer than needed. We are very grateful for the help of this firm and would recommend them to everyone!

Kay Redman

1693338794

I can’t praise enough the service I received extending the lease on my flat. It was a new and daunting experience made easy and straightforward, from the initial contact, to form filling, taken through each step by step, to completing the process. All admin staff were fab, but a shout out to Greta who handled my case. She was fab from start to finish, answered all my questions and emails were responded to within 24hrs. Thank you everyone and Greta, and I would highly recommend using Bonallack and Bishop Solicitors, and if I need to I’d use them again without question.

Steven Buckley

1692970963

I have found Bonallack & Bishop Solicitors very helpful during a long and drawn out 'cross border' inheritance issue I had; their staff managed all the issues and gave sound and knowledgeable advice, prompt and sustained feedback on progress, and provided correct and timely documentation. They also arranged for Notary assistance to legalise documents for use abroad and sent me these by secure mail enabling me to complete the process; a sincere thank you to Emma, Rebecca and Jill.

Brian From Manchester

1691828548

My contact was Greta Whittaker and the service she provided was excellent (same for the other staff who contacted me). Everything relating to freehold purchase was explained and dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, which was great at what was (for other reasons) a difficult time for me. One less thing to worry about. Many thanks to the firm in general and Great Whittaker in particular.

Tony P

1691227541

Greta Whittaker did a five star job on my property transaction. Never needed to chase as communication was spot on. Thanks!

samir shrestha

1691166427

Jacob and his team been great. The whole process took slightly longer than expected but Jake did a great job. Thankyou.

Kath Fussell

1691144662

Very professional, great communication at every stage of buying the freehold on a family property. Would recommend Jake Holmes and his team to anyone, when navigating the legal system.

I had need of the services of a solicitor to guide me through a Settlement Agreement. Bonallack and Bishop helped make the whole process as simple as it could be.

With their help and support we got everything sorted within 2 weeks which allowed me to get on with my life

Clive Bingham

Lawyers Specialising in Inheritance Claims and Contested Probate

What are the grounds for contesting a Will?

The Will was not correctly drafted

The Will was not properly signed and witnessed

Undue influence was used to encourage the deceased to make and sign the Will

Someone poisoned the deceased’s mind against another individual

The deceased did not have the mental capacity to make a Will

Disputed Wills -not making reasonable financial provision for someone close to the deceased

The deceased had made a promise to someone that they did not keep

Disputed wills – where a solicitor was negligent when drafting the document

The Will is fraudulent

The Will has been revoked

A later Will exists

Disputed Wills – problems with the administration of the estate

The Will has been hidden or destroyed

Disputed Wills – Warning signs that there may be an issue

Instructing disputed Wills solicitors

How to resolve your Wills dispute

Litigation for Disputed Wills?

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