Ben joined JMW in December 2020 and is a Partner in the Contentious Trusts and Probate team.
Ben is an Associate Member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and is also a member of the STEP Contentious Trusts and Estates Special Interest Group.
Ben has a wealth of experience of acting for clients on a local, national and international level dealing with a range of high value and complex disputes. He has significant experience in bringing claims under the Inheritance Act 1975, disputes relating to the validity of wills, trusts and lifetime gifts; and acting in these disputes for executors, personal representatives, trustees, beneficiaries and third parties.
Ben has been ranked in the Chambers High Net Worth guide 2023, with feedback including:
Ben has also been consistently recommended in the Legal 500 for a number of years for Contentious Trusts and Probate, and is listed in the latest edition as a Next Generation Partner. Testimonials include:
Ben was a finalist for the Young Professional Award at the LBV Sub36 Awards with feedback from the judges being:
“A self-disciplined and emotionally intelligent professional. He has obtained deserved recognition within his profession and will continue to thrive.”
Specific examples of Ben’s work includes:
- Jump and Jones v Lister and Forresters Solicitors Limited [2016] EWHC 2160 (Ch). Successfully acting for the Executors and Residuary Beneficiaries in a dispute relating to the interpretation of two Wills, and successfully acting in related professional negligence proceedings against the solicitors who drafted the Will.
- Acting for a spouse in a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 against her Deceased husband’s Estate. The Estate was valued at £18m and was subject to a fairly complex trust. Achieved a substantial seven figure settlement for the client.
- Successfully acting for a beneficiary based in Australia in a complex claim for maladministration against the Executors of an Estate.
- Successfully applying to bring a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 out of time, and acting on the subsequent court proceedings, winning a substantial sum for the client at trial along with costs.
- Advising an Executor of an Estate in a high value claim against an Estate by a daughter-in-law and minor grandchildren under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
- Acting for claimants and defendants on a number of challenges to the validity of wills on the basis of lack of capacity, want of knowledge and approval and fraud.”
Ben discussed various contentious probate questions including how to claim against an estate or challenge the validity of a will on JMW's Inside Man, as well as Larke v Nugus requests for our Lawshare partners.
