Rachel Gaffney

Advised a minor child in a claim for reasonable provision from her late father’s estate, including consideration of the structure of a complex family resident in a number of jurisdictions

Advised a widow in a claim against her husband’s estate in circumstances where the estate did not make adequate provision for her housing and maintenance needs. This included navigating sensitive family arrangements for a high-profile family for whom issues of avoiding publicity where a key consideration

Successfully defended a claim by a claimant claiming as a co-habitee in circumstances where the requirements of that class of claimant were not met, acting for a former spouse and 2 children on the deceased

Advised on variations to a family trust for an ultra-high net worth family in order to streamline tax treatment of various trust funds

Advised a trust beneficiary in a claim for the removal of trustees on grounds of breach if trust in circumstances where the trustees had taken steps to prioritise their position over the position of the beneficiaries

Advised a son in a challenge to a will on grounds of capacity including issues of protecting a disabled beneficiary

Advised in relation to a challenge to the validity of a will on grounds of lack of formality, capacity and undue influence in circumstances where a vulnerable adult had executed several wills in quick succession in concerning circumstances

Advised in a complex Court of Protection matter involving disputed succession arrangements, multi-jurisdictional assets and family provision claims. Worked alongside trusts, estates and Court of Protection specialists to secure agreement on future planning and ongoing financial management

Acted in a case for the removal of a deputy in circumstances where P had been subjected to financial abuse, including actions for the restoration of P’s estate

Acted for the daughter of a vulnerable adult in relation to action taken by her mother’s attorney including mismanagement of her finances and undue influence in relation to investments and business transactions

Advised a widow in relation to claims against her husband’s estate for reasonable financial provision, including advice on complex lifetime trust arrangements in relation to a landed estate in England

Acting in a trustee decision making capacity for a high-value trust asset sale involving significant beneficiary disagreements, trustee decision-making and complex tax considerations. Rachel advised on the contentious aspects of the trustee decision making, helping trustees get to the point of agreeing a way forward by consent, avoiding litigation risk while protecting the interests of the trust and its beneficiaries

Acted in a complex international estate dispute involving offshore assets, tax and domicile issues, and allegations of breach of trust. Successfully secured the discharge of a worldwide freezing order and guided the parties towards mediation while protecting the client’s position

Acted for the minor beneficiary of an estate with international assets in 5 jurisdictions in respect of her rights in the UK and how they could be enforced bearing in mind international succession in other jurisdictions