David Finnerty provides advice on how to avoid a professional negligence claim in a contested probate case
Recent reports have shown a 700% increase over the past five years in contested probate cases involving the challenge of a will. Many of these cases will have scrutinised the conduct of solicitors to decide whether they were negligent in their actions and advice. The financial and reputational implications of any such finding can be significant.
Duty of care
When managing a will, solicitors owe a duty of care to both testators and beneficiaries. Numerous cases exist of solicitors being found to be in breach of this duty, from failing to properly assess testamentary capacity, to not dealing with medical evidence issues promptly, to not identifying a testator who was being unduly influenced.
It is understandable that solicitors who specialise in non-contentious probate can be unprepared for litigation. So if the work you do could leave you susceptible to a claim, how can you minimise the risk of being found professionally negligent?
Capacity
The issue of capacity is paramount to every instruction. A solicitor is often the first
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