Hugh James provides a ‘Rolls-Royce service’ to claimants and defendants, including banks, professional executors, trustees, high-net-worth individuals and charities, across a variety of trusts and probate disputes. ‘Top-notch’ team head Roman Kubiak, who splits his time between Cardiff and London, handles high-profile cases involving cross-border issues. Matthew Evans also handles disputes work as part of his overarching private client expertise, with particular expertise in representing agriculture sector claimants and defendants in relation to proprietary estoppel cases. The arrival of ‘excellent’ solicitor-advocate John Davies from Howells Solicitors adds further experience to the practice.

Overseen by Iwan Doull and Simon Care with day-to-day work handled by the ‘hardworking and accessible’ Emma Jayne Scullion, the ‘responsive and supportive’ team at Berry Smith continues to develop a solid practice. Scullion’s workload includes cases involving challenges to the validity of wills and Inheritance Act matters. Care also handles a notable volume of contentious probate matters as part of his broad Chancery practice and is praised for his ‘exceptional’ grasp of cases.

Led by consultant Laura Alliss, Geldards LLP provides ‘spot-on advice’ to charities, executors, trustees and beneficiaries across a broad swathe of disputes including issues relating to testamentary capacity, Inheritance Act claims and promissory estoppel. Allis is able to ‘shepherd clients to good resolutions of their claims’, be it through the court system or negotiations.

Howells Solicitors was recognised by clients as the ‘go-to team for contentious and non-contentious probate in Cardiff’. ‘Outstanding and very committed’ team head Laith Khatib has an advisory and contentious offering spanning a myriad often complex matters for claimants and defendants. The scope of the work runs the gamut from Inheritance Act disputes and claims relating to the validity of wills, through to cases relating to the construction of wills and trust deeds.

Under the leadership of the ‘extremely knowledgeable and robust’ Richard Howells, JCP Solicitors‘ well-established practice receives a significant flow of work for clients in west Wales and throughout the south Wales corridor across a wide range of probate and trusts disputes. As well as working with Howells on high-stakes disputes, the ‘tactically astute’ Tomas Davies has developed a particular skill in handling Inheritance Act cases.

Under the leadership of Alexia Thomas, the ‘commercially focused’ team at Red Kite Law LLP has grown its offering, with the arrival in July 2024 of Rachel Morris from JCP Solicitors. The firm has the resources to handle a significant range of instructions, running the gamut from Inheritance Act and will validity cases, through to executor and breach of trusts claims. Leveraging her previous experience in commercial litigation, the ‘incredibly focused and detail oriented’ Thomas excels in complex disputes arising in the agriculture space, often involving partnership issues.

Janice Powell heads up Acuity Law‘s contentious probate team, and has considerable experience in the field, with work running the gamut from advice to clients on Inheritance Act claims, trust disputes, removal of executors and trustees, and proprietary estoppel matters.

Forming part of the firm’s broader commercial litigation offering which is led by the ‘thoughtful and tenacious’ Clare Tregoning, Gomer Williams & Co regularly handles work for clients bringing and defending claims relating to contentious probate matters. Tregoning handles a wide variety of complex cases, including where ownership to property is at stake.

The arrival of Richard Adams from Douglas-Jones Mercer in July 2024 added a contentious offering to Harrison Clark Rickerbys‘ existing advisory private client practice in Cardiff. Adams also works closely with the firm's private client practice and growing agriculture team.