Excellent chancery and probate team stands out on the Western Circuit, with members offering a wide range of expertise.”

The Legal 500 2024, Chancery, Probate & Tax

Members of our Wills & Trusts team are featured in the Chambers UK High Net Worth Guide 2024 as leaders in the private wealth market (outside London). This recognition clearly demonstrates the team are leaders in their field nationally.

Members of the team regularly advise and represent clients in relation to lifetime settlements, will trusts, charitable trusts, resulting or constructive trusts, and trusts arising from the co-ownership of land. Their work covers both contentious and non-contentious matters, including:

  • Advising on trustees’ powers and duties
  • Applications to court for directions
  • Applications to remove trustees
  • Construction and rectification of trust instruments
  • Trustee mistake claims
  • Post-death variations, disclaimers and appointments out of trusts
  • Applications under the Variation of Trusts Act 1958
  • Advising on trusts of personal injuries damages
  • Beddoe Applications
  • Trusts issues in matrimonial proceedings
  • Claims under Trusts of Land & Appointment of Trustees Act 1996
  • Co-ownership and trusts of land
  • Trusts in Charitable trusts
  • Professional negligence in trusts matters

Mediation

As the number of cases being dealt with by way of mediation increases, our mediation team are on hand to help, be it by providing the advocates, mediators or both. Our facilities are specifically designed to meet with clients’ needs for a mediation venue. Read more.

Public Access

Some members of the team are also available to act, where appropriate, for members of the public, as well as for commercial and non-commercial organisations, under the Public Access scheme.

Training

The team delivers workshops and seminars in Chambers and regional centres. We also provide training on behalf of local Law Societies and in conjunction with solicitors’ firms. In addition we can give tailored in-house training for particular firms. If you would like any further information please contact Paul Bennett on 0117 923 4793 or email: [email protected].

View our Will & Trusts digital book here for further details about how we can help you.

Trusts Team

alex-troup

Alex Troup KC

  • Call: 1998
  • Silk: 2023

Alex is Head of our Wills & Trusts team and is recognised for his impressive chancery practice. He is the only silk ranked in private wealth outside of London in the High Net Worth Guide 2024. Alex is...

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Charles Auld

  • Call: 1980

Charles has specialised in land-related matters for over 30 years. He has great experience of boundary litigation, restrictive covenants, easements and public rights of way. He regularly appears in Court; in the First-tier Tribunal (especially on land registration...

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John Sharples

John Sharples

  • Call: 1992

John is a very experienced adviser and advocate and has practised in the area of wills and trusts for over 25 years. He is ranked in Band 1 for both chancery and real estate litigation in Chambers UK...

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Zoë Saunders

  • Call: 2003

Zoë has particular expertise in trusts in the context of both financial remedy proceedings and in cohabitation disputes. Zoë is a financial remedy specialist dealing with complex cases involving significant assets as well as more modest asset cases....

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Christopher Jones

Christopher Jones

  • Call: 2004

Christopher is a wills & trusts barrister, regularly advising in cases involving the division of assets between cohabitees, disputed wills and the administration of trusts and estates. In addition his practice includes disputes involving: Advising on trustees’ powers...

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Jody Atkinson

  • Call: 2005

Jody’s chancery practice focuses exclusively on wills and trusts. He is a full member of STEP, having passed all of the exams in one sitting. Jody is particularly sought after for Inheritance Act disputes, due to his rare...

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Oliver Wooding

Oliver Wooding

  • Call: 2009

Oliver’s wills and trusts practice spans all contentious and non-contentious matters.  He advises upon and acts, both as advocate and mediator, in disputes involving the validity of wills, claims under Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975,...

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Natasha Dzameh

Natasha Dzameh

  • Call: 2010

Natasha has extensive experience of wills, trusts and probate matters. This includes: applications for the removal of personal representatives and/or trustees, breaches of trust and of fiduciary duty (including dishonest assistance and knowing receipt), claims under the Inheritance...

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Charlie Newington Bridges

Charlie Newington-Bridges

  • Call: 2011

Charlie is a traditional chancery barrister with a specialism in Inheritance Act 1975 claims and experience with high-value estates and complex wills. Recent work includes: Representing the defendant in a two day trial concerning the proceeds from two...

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Adam Boyle

  • Call: 2012

Adam has extensive experience of wills, trusts and probate work and is regularly instructed in all manner of cases across this area. His cases often include assisting executors and administrators with the administration of estates, and the various...

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Oliver Riley

Oliver Riley

  • Call: 2013

Oliver is an experienced trusts practitioner, particularly in the context of separating cohabitees. He is regularly instructed to provide advice prior to the issue of proceedings, as well as acting on behalf of both claimants and defendants in...

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Annie Sampson

Annie Sampson

  • Call: 2015

Annie’s experience encompasses a broad range of wills and trusts work, including both contentious and non-contentious matters. Annie has particular experience of advising in respect of the construction of wills and challenges to their validity; 1975 Act claims,...

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Brittany Pearce

Brittany Pearce

  • Call: 2015

Brittany is often instructed to advise beneficiaries, trustees and personal representatives in connection with probate, trust and estate matters. Her advice covers technical, discrete points, such as what documents should be disclosed, whilst factoring in practical considerations, bearing...

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Jack Pankhurst

  • Call: 2021

Jack is a specialist commercial and chancery barrister and a trained mediator. His practice spans the breadth of commercial disputes, including company and insolvency; contractual disputes; offshore work; wills and trust litigation; professional negligence claims; property matters; and...

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Kayleigh Bloomfield

  • Call: 2021

Kayleigh is regularly instructed in a broad range of private client matters. Her practice includes: Advising, drafting and / or appearing in: Probate claims concerning the formal validity of wills, testamentary capacity, knowledge and approval, undue influence and...

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Nicole Hilton

Nicole Hilton

  • Call: 2021

Nicole is a barrister and trained mediator with a broad practice encompassing many areas of commercial and chancery law. Nicole accepts instructions in landlord and tenant disputes, contractual issues, consumer rights, property matters, building and construction disputes, professional...

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Guy Adams

Guy Adams

  • Call: 1989

Guy is an experienced chancery practitioner with a thorough understanding of trust principles, and acts and advises in connection with the administration of trusts and estates. He has a particular expertise in derivative actions. He is a member...

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Directory Quotes

St John’s Chambers is highly esteemed on the Western Circuit for its expertise in traditional and commercial chancery work. They are the leading chambers for contentious probate matters.”

Chambers UK 2024, Chancery

Excellent chancery and probate team stands out on the Western Circuit, with members offering a wide range of expertise.”

The Legal 500 2024, Chancer, probate, and tax

Highly esteemed on the Western Circuit for its expertise in traditional and commercial chancery work. ‘Consistently provide well-balanced, clear and commercially-minded advice.'”

Chambers UK 2023, Chancery

One of the main strengths of the chambers is the communication skills of the clerks, which ensure that expectations are managed and that levels of service are met.”

Chambers UK 2023, Chancery (Client Service)

Leading regional heavy-weight, very strong in contentious probate and the leading set for trusts and estates work in the South West.”

Legal 500 2023, Chancery, Probate & Tax

St John’s Chambers is highly esteemed on the Western Circuit for its expertise in traditional and commercial chancery work. The set is ‘very capable with a specialist, expert team of barristers who are all helpful and skilled and keep their knowledge well updated.’ “

Chambers UK 2022, Chancery

The set’s clerks are very helpful, prompt to reply and very easy to work with. They are swift in responding to instructing solicitors and act as a sensible, seamless and proactive conduit between the barristers and their instructing solicitors.”

Chambers UK 2022, Chancery (Client Service)

St John’s Chambers is an excellent contentious trust and probate set with ‘a very strong Chancery team’, housing members who rival London counsel in ability and experience.”

Legal 500 2022, Chancery, Probate and Tax

St John’s Chambers is highly esteemed on the Western Circuit for its expertise in traditional and commercial chancery work. ‘There is a real depth in their chancery practice,’ says one source. The set assists with contentious will and trusts disputes, property disputes and Court of Protection matters, as well as professional negligence claims. It is also well known for its expertise on high-value agricultural land disputes. Sources say it is ‘an approachable and effective set, with individuals who are knowledgeable and invariably keen to support.’ “

Chambers UK 2021, Chancery

The clerks are really helpful, always come back to you and genuinely show interest in the case. ‘They have a friendly clerking team, which makes it easier to get work sent across to them and hearings and other matters booked in the relevant barristers’ diaries.’ “

Chambers UK 2021, Chancery (Client Service)

Seminars & Events

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