Richard Smaller > Irwin Mitchell > Leeds, England > Lawyer Profile

Richard Smaller

0113 3946830 richard.smaller@irwinmitchell.com

Work Department

Wills, Trusts & Estates Disputes

Position

Solicitor

Richard specialises in disputes that arise when a person dies. I deal with a wide range of cases and each one is different to the next .
People seeking to challenge the validity of wills on grounds of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity or issues with formalities, and have experience in defending such claims too. Richard has also worked on bringing and defending claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 when someone’s unhappy with the inheritance that they’ve received under a will or the intestacy rules.

Career

Richard specialises in disputes that arise when a person passes away. He deals with a wide range of cases and each one is different to the next – just as no two people are the same, neither are any two estates.

He represents people seeking to challenge the validity of wills on grounds of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity or issues with formalities, and has experience in defending such claims too. He has also worked on bringing and defending claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 when someone’s unhappy with the inheritance that they’ve received under a will or the intestacy rules.

Acting as an Executor, or waiting for your inheritance to arrive, can be a very stressful time. Richard has experience of dealing with disputes around the administration of estates, including allegations of financial misconduct, delays in administering the estate, and the removal of Executors and appointment of a suitable alternative.

He is also interested in representing people who want to challenge Court of Protection applications for Deputyship or decisions made under a Lasting Power of Attorney. Having a relative or friend who has lost mental capacity can be an emotional and scary time, and he understands how emotive such applications can be.