Trust Dispute Solicitors

We advise beneficiaries and trustees when allegations arise that a trustee has acted negligently, dishonestly, or outside the scope of their powers, and we can provide practical, professional advice on next steps.

This can include misuse of trust assets, conflicts of interest, unauthorised investments, self-dealing, or failures to properly administer the trust and act in beneficiaries’ best interests, including where tax issues affect the trust estate.

We can provide practical advice on immediate steps to protect trust assets, preserve key documentary evidence, and manage costs at an early stage.

Disputes can arise where trustees fail to act appropriately, refuse to engage, favour certain beneficiaries or are incapable of fulfilling their duties, and clients may need to take action to protect their rights.

Our trust litigation solicitors regularly advise on trustee removal applications, disputes between co-trustees and court proceedings concerning the replacement of trustees, and we assist with evidence and costs management.

Where appropriate, we can seek an order removing trustee(s) and, if necessary, take court action to safeguard the trust estate and beneficiaries' rights.

We regularly advise on disputes concerning the management of trust assets, distributions from trusts, a lack of disclosure or transparency, trustee decision-making, and allegations of unfair treatment between beneficiaries.

We advise clients seeking to challenge the validity of a trust where concerns exist regarding mental capacity, undue influence, fraud, sham trust arrangements, drafting errors or situations where the trust does not accurately reflect the settlor’s intentions.

This can include disputes concerning both trusts arising under Wills and lifetime trusts established for family succession planning, tax planning or wealth preservation purposes.

Our contentious trust and probate lawyers advise on disputes involving offshore and international trust structures, including trusts connected to Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.

These disputes often involve complex family wealth structures, international assets, cross-border legal issues, and business interests and tax concerns.

We also advise on private wealth structures involving offshore trusts holding UK assets, family investment arrangements, and cross-border succession planning. These matters frequently involve high-value estates, international beneficiaries and complex trustee obligations.

We also advise on disputes involving family property arrangements, resulting trusts, jointly owned property and trust interests connected to estates or succession planning arrangements.

Where a property or business asset is in dispute, we help you understand your rights, review the relevant trust document and wider estate paperwork. We also advise on practical steps to resolve matters.

A trust dispute is a disagreement over the validity, interpretation, administration, or management of a trust, and it can affect an estate. Trust disputes commonly arise between trustees and beneficiaries, or when there are concerns about the handling of trust assets, and may become contested when a person’s rights are in issue. In some situations, trust disputes arise after a person's death, and issues regarding the deceased’s estate, executors’ decisions, and inheritance expectations can feed into the dispute.

Common trust disputes include breach of trust claims, disputes between trustees and beneficiaries, trustee removal claims, disputes regarding trust administration, challenges to the validity of a trust and disputes concerning property held in trust, including trust estate disputes.

Yes. In some circumstances, it may be possible to challenge the validity of a trust, and early advice can help you understand what you need to prove.

Grounds for challenging a trust can include lack of mental capacity, undue influence, fraud, sham trust arrangements, drafting errors or situations where the trust does not reflect the settlor’s intentions. Where you are contesting the trust’s validity, we will review the trust document and related document trail, assess the evidence, and advise on practical steps and likely court outcomes.

Our specialist trust dispute solicitors can assess your position and advise on the strength of any potential claim, the practical steps available, and whether court proceedings are likely.

Yes. Trustees can sometimes be removed where they breach their duties, fail to act in beneficiaries’ best interests, refuse to engage, mismanage trust assets or are otherwise unsuitable to continue acting, and we can assist a person applying to remove trustee(s).

In some cases, removal can be agreed between the parties. In others, a court application may be required, particularly if the matter is contested. If removal is opposed, we can assist with preparing the evidence, taking urgent action where needed, and presenting the application to the court.

A breach of trust occurs where a trustee fails to comply with their legal duties or acts outside their powers.

Examples can include misuse of trust assets, favouring one beneficiary unfairly, failing to keep proper accounts, negligent investment decisions, conflicts of interest or unauthorised distributions.

Beneficiaries are often entitled to certain information relating to the trust, including trust accounts, details of trust assets, information regarding distributions and, in some cases, a copy of the trust deed or trust document.

The extent of disclosure will depend on the beneficiary’s interest in the trust and the circumstances of the case. In a contested disclosure dispute, we can assist you in identifying what is reasonable to request, how to frame the request, and the practical steps to enforce disclosure where necessary.

Yes. Our trust dispute solicitors advise on offshore and international trust disputes involving jurisdictions such as Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, and we can provide practical guidance on the key steps.

We advise on complex cross-border trust disputes involving international assets and family wealth structures. Offshore matters can also involve contested issues around tax reporting, estate planning, and business structures within wider Private Wealth arrangements.

Trustees owe fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries of a trust. These duties include acting in beneficiaries’ best interests, protecting trust assets, complying with the trust deed and trust document, keeping proper records and exercising reasonable skill and care.

Many trust disputes can be resolved through alternative dispute resolution.

However, where necessary, court proceedings may be required to protect trust assets or resolve disputes between the parties, and we can assist a person through a contested hearing.

Our contentious trust and probate solicitors will advise you on the most effective and cost-efficient approach based on your circumstances, and we provide practical support and clear steps to help you make decisions.

Where your dispute involves an estate, inheritance concerns or executors’ decisions, we can provide practical guidance on next steps, likely costs, and the most effective route to resolution.

Yes. Time limits may apply depending on the nature of the trust dispute and the type of claim involved.

It is important to seek legal advice as early as possible to avoid losing the ability to bring or defend a claim, and to manage tax, estate, and document issues early. Time limits can be strict, so a person may need to take action quickly, whether bringing a claim, defending proceedings, or seeking directions from the court.

Yes. We regularly advise both trustees and beneficiaries in relation to breach of trust claims, disputes concerning trust administration, trustee removal applications, disclosure disputes and claims involving trust assets.

If you are involved in a trust dispute, it is important to seek specialist legal advice promptly, especially if the matter is contested or involves estate administration.

Our experienced trust dispute solicitors can assess your position, explain your options, protect your interests and guide you through the dispute resolution process, including defending a claim where appropriate.

Yes. Trust disputes do not only arise after death or through probate matters. Many disputes involve lifetime trusts created for family succession planning, tax planning, asset protection or wealth preservation purposes.

These disputes can concern trustee conduct, investment decisions, distributions to beneficiaries, allegations of breach of trust, conflicts between family members or disputes regarding how the trust should be administered.

Lifetime trust disputes often involve substantial family wealth, business interests or international assets, requiring specialist contentious trust advice.