Sensitive Legal Matters Mishandled: Wills and Family Law Claims

At Healys LLP, our Professional Negligence team, led by Robert Johnson, frequently advises clients on claims against solicitors arising from negligent legal services. These cases illustrate how solicitor failures can lead to significant financial and emotional consequences. Below, we explore real-life examples to shed light on how we assist clients in seeking redress.

Solicitor failures in probate and will drafting can deeply affect clients. This article examines examples of such failings.

Claims Arising out of Probate/Will Issues

This claim arose out of the failure of a firm of solicitors to properly provide advice to the clients and their late father following the death of their mother. These failures led to increased complexities in dealing with their father’s estate when he passed away, in particular relating to inheritance tax. We were instructed to pursue the solicitors for the clients’ losses.

This claim arose out of the failure of a solicitor firm to act with sufficient competence when preparing the client’s mother’s will causing him to be a disappointed beneficiary of the estate. The client’s late mother had intended to divorce her husband and wanted to pass her share of their property to her son (the client). She passed away before the divorce was finalised and, due to the solicitors’ failures, her interest in the property was instead automatically transferred to her husband. We, therefore, successfully pursued a claim for compensation.

This claim arose out of the way in which a direct access barrister dealt with the client’s claims against the executors of her mother’s estate as well as her sister-in-law for self-dealing in the estate, which had become the subject of legal proceedings. The barrister failed (among other things) to properly advise on the risks involved in the litigation and discouraged the client from accepting an offer to settle that would have resolved matters at an earlier stage. We were, therefore, instructed to recover the clients’ losses.

If you would like legal advice on this area of Professional Negligence or further information on any of the above, please contact Robert below.

Healys Professional Negligence Services

Healys professional negligence team have acted for clients against a range of professionals including solicitors, barristers, architects, surveyors, financial advisors and accountants, and have an outstanding reputation for gaining the best possible outcome. They are accredited and recommended by leading legal review bodies, including Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

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