Litigation for Individuals
A legal service tailored for you
What is involved?
Facing a personal dispute can be a very stressful experience. There are many different ways to resolve a dispute, but prompt, effective legal advice is very often the key to making the right decisions. We adopt a common sense and practical approach to a difficult situation, in order to secure the solution you need. Our genuine specialist expertise allows us to support you through the stress and confusion that litigation often brings.
Our in-depth experience covers professional negligence, contractual disputes, disputes relating to land, (including jointly-owned property and neighbour disputes), employment claims and professional disciplinary proceedings.
Call our experienced Private Client Dispute Resolution team to find out how we can help you.
Why choose Freeths?
- Successful track record of representing clients in County Court and High Court, as well as the specialist tribunals
- You will be told the most cost-efficient way to resolve your case – including alternative funding
- Our Contentious Trust and Probate team also deal with all aspects of Will, Estate and Trust claims
- A common sense approach that aims to use alternative dispute resolution and mediation wherever possible
- Our expert lawyers offer specialist advice to help resolve your dispute quickly and efficiently
At Freeths, we will always consider the most cost efficient way to resolve each case. We are happy to explore alternative forms of funding, including conditional fee arrangements or third party funding where suitable.
We will also make use of alternative dispute resolution, where appropriate, to achieve the right result.
We regularly represent clients at mediation and we also have qualified mediators in our team who can assist in resolving disputes through mediation. Whatever your legal problem, we will focus on providing a clear plan from the outset, designed to support you through the distress and upset.
Key contacts
Sarah Foster
Managing Partner - Oxford & Joint Head of Private Client Services
Mark Keeley
Partner & Joint Head of Private Client Services
Alternatively complete the form below:
Contact Us
Our Litigation for Individuals Legal Team
Notable Work
- Acting for a lay deputy in a contested Court of Protection matter, in relation to allegations of financial mismanagement.
- High profile cases include Walker v Walker [2007] EWHC 597 and Nankervis v Coates & Coates.
- Advising a landowner on the terms of a heavily contested option agreement, terminating the same and successfully defending proceedings seeking to force a transfer on incredibly unfavourable terms for our client – resulting in a saving of over £3 million for our clients when they entered a new more favourable promotion agreement.
- Acted for two clients who were due to inherit the deceased’s residuary estate; worth £1.5 million. This was in connection with defending a challenge to the validity of the deceased’s last will on the grounds of lack of capacity and want of knowledge and approval. Freeths secured a very favourable settlement for them, where the disputed will was admitted to probate.
- Preparing notices to serve on Agricultural Holdings Act tenants and advising generally on the Agricultural Holdings Act, including claims for dilapidation and compensation.
- Acted for the daughter in a disputed multi-jurisdictional estate. The deceased (born in Italy) had lived in England for over 40 years. His wife alleged that he had adopted England as his domicile of choice and made an Inheritance Act claim against his £1.5 million estate. Freeths obtained witness evidence to show that he had not lost his domicile of origin. The claim was settled favourably at mediation.
- Successfully resisted a £2 million+ unusual mutual wills case, where it was alleged that because of that mutual will, our client held his late wife’s estate on trust for the claimant (a non-family member). Complex company and estate issues arose, given (i) our client’s 100% shareholding in estate companies and the claimant’s position as director in them; and (ii) the fact that our client and the claimant were joint executors of the late wife’s will. A settlement was reached prior to trial whereby a small % of the £2 million was paid, including costs.
- Extensive experience of disputes concerning neighbouring properties, such as access rights, parking rights, nuisance, trespass and boundaries.
- Recovering money from attorneys who have acted in breach of trust, removing attorneys/deputies who have abused their position, or challenging lifetime gifts that have been procured by undue influence.
- Advising a client regarding a trespass on their land in relation to substantial building works undertaken by a third party and threatening injunctive proceedings and/or a claim for damages against the perpetrator.
- Acting for a local farming family challenging a Notice to quit served in relation to their AHA tenancy where land was required for a large scale “self build” housing development. The dispute settled favourably during the course of an arbitration hearing on terms which paid our clients compensation and allowed them to continue to farm far longer than would have been the case had the notice not been contested.
Client service
‘Doing the right thing’ is at the heart of Freeths. Find out more about our excellent client service and the strong set of values that guide the way we work.
Talk to us
Freeths are a leading national law firm with 13 offices across the UK. If you have a query about our services or just want to find out more, why not give us a call?
Contact: 03301 001 014