Contentious Probate & Inheritance Claims Circle

9 October 2025 to 9 October 2025
Merchant Taylors' Hall, London, UK

The Contentious Probate & Inheritance Claims Circle is a TL4 Circle that welcomes up to 40 hand-picked senior-level attendees participating in facilitated, Chatham House style discussions across one full day of content and networking at the beautiful Merchant Taylors' Hall in Central London. The Circle is expertly steered by four key private client practitioners.

This exclusive invitation only event, involves facilitated discussions across one day of content.

We have worked with the advisory board to devise and curate the invite list and areas of discussion. Designed to be interactive and as inclusive as possible, there are no set-piece presentations or panel sessions with the focus being on open discussion.

The agenda and access to your peers attending will be made available upon confirmation of attendance.

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The event will take place at Merchant Taylors' Hall, Central London, UK.

Your attendance includes:

  • 1x drinks reception
  • 1x three course lunch
  • 1x three course dinner
  • 3x boardroom sessions
  • 3x hosted round tables
  • 1x day of refreshments

Please find the confirmed list of attendees for the Contentious Probate & Inheritance Claims Circle, along with the 2024 agenda below:

Delegates

Oliver Auld (Advisory Board)
Partner
Charles Russell Speechlys
Monika Byrska (Advisory Board)
Partner
Howard Kennedy
Emma Holland (Advisory Board)
Partner
Stewarts Law
Constance McDonnell KC (Advisory Board)
Barrister
Serle Court
James Aspden
Partner
Wilsons
Aidan Briggs
Barrister
New Square Chambers
Lucinda Brown
Partner
Mills & Reeve
Alistair Burns
Professor
University of Manchester
Julia Burns
Mediator
Dove in the Room
Claire-Marie Cornford
Partner
Irwin Mitchell
Richard Dew
Barrister
Ten Old Square Chambers
Katie De Swarte
Partner
Osbornes Law
Roberta Harvey
Partner
Forsters
Edward Hewitt
Barrister
5 Stone Buildings
Josh Lewison
Barrister
Radcliffe Chambers
Mark Lindley
Partner
Boodle Hatfield
James Lister
Partner
Stevens & Bolton
Alison Ozanne
Partner
Walkers
Sarah-Jane Macdonald
Partner
Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie
Natasha McKeever
Partner
Michelmores
Thomas Middlehurst
Partner
Blake Morgan
Clare Nicolle
Partner
Nicolle Marshall
Alison Parry
Partner
JMW
Tamasin Perkins
Partner
Charles Russell Speechlys
Sophia Rogers
Barrister
Radcliffe Chambers
Amanda Smallcombe
Partner
Birketts
Julien Tron
Partner
MLL
Dr James Warner
Expert
Halcyon Doctors
Hannah Davie
Partner
Grant Thornton

Agenda

9:30
Registration
9:50
Committee Welcome
10:00
Understanding the Impact of Funding & Costs on Probate and Inheritance Claims
  • Hirachand v Hirachand – what outcomes can we expect from this judgment.  
  • Cost and success fees in 1975 Act claims.  
  • Understanding the extent to which solicitors can be in costs disputes over wills they’ve drafted.  
  • Tactics for mitigating and managing high costs. 
10:50
Examining Cases of Undue Influence
  • Where are we now in light of recent impactful cases such as Oliver v Oliver, Rea v Rea and Copley v Winter. 
  • What to know about fraudulent calumny.   
  • Navigating cases of predatory marriage and coercive control.  
  • Running a case successfully to trial
  • [What can probate practitioners learn from family practitioners.] 
11:40
Networking & Refreshment Break
12:10
Insights into the effects of Capacity
  • Ramifications of the Leonard v Leonard Judgment. 
  • Testing for capacity issues.  
  • Dealing with early signs of diminished capacity in HNW clients.  
  • Capacity loss and attacks pre and postmortem. 
1:00
Networking & Lunch Break
2:20
Roundtables – Modern Technology and its Impact on Probate Claims
  • How tech advancements have impacted wills and estates and how will they continue to impact them.  
  • [Contesting the validity of electronic wills.]  
  • Storage and future-proofing documents.  
  • [Have tech advancements made it easier to forge wills.] 
3:10
Roundtables – Navigating Claims with Cross-Border Elements
  • Quirky aspects of your jurisdiction that others may not know about.
  • Navigating the challenges of international and multi-jurisdictional estates.  
  • [Inheritance Act disputes that have an international element.]  
  • [English wills being in contested in foreign jurisdictions.]
4:00
Networking & Refreshment Break
4:30
The Prognosis for Probate: Grievances, Desires and Predictions

During this closing session, each delegate will get 30 seconds to give their thoughts on gripes, predictions and what should change/develop over the next 5/10 years. All of these can relate to practice, procedure, the law, claim management, dispute resolution, knowledge sharing etc 

5:05
Closing Summary and End of Discussion Session
5:15
Drinks Reception
7:00
Dinner

Location

Event Location

Contact

Attendance, Booking & General Queries

For general enquiries please contact
Maddi Briggs on +44 (0) 20 3398 8545
or email maddi@thoughtleaders4.com

Partnership

For partnership enquiries please contact
James Baldwin-Webb on +44 (0) 20 3398 8546 
or email james@thoughtleaders4.com

Venue & Logistics

For venue & logistics enquiries please contact
Chloe Lomas  on +44 (0) 20 3038 4513                
or email chloe.lomas@thoughtleaders4.com

Event Contact