Freeths LLP is a key port of call for beneficiaries, executors, and trustees on claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family & Dependents) Act 1975. Oxford-based Sarah Foster oversees the team and has over three decades of experience in acting for executors, individuals, and trustees, while Sally Goodger is vastly experienced in will disputes. Charlotte Flynn is noted for her expertise in Inheritance Act claims, will validity challenges, and administration disputes.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Well-known team in the Oxford area; well-resourced.
- Sarah Foster combines superb technical knowledge with sound commerciality. She works really hard for her clients and heads the team up brilliantly. Sally Goodger fights hard for her clients with great success, and her communication skills are supreme.
- Sarah Foster is a delight to work with. She gives clear and sound advice in a straightforward and unfussy way. She is vastly experienced and frequently acts as or with independent PRs/trustees, holding the ring between members of a fractured family. She leads a very strong team from the Oxford office, including Sally Goodger, who is extremely dedicated and hard-working, as well as being a cool head in a crisis.
- Sally Goodger is an absolute star and a "go-to" lawyer in this field. She brings a wealth of experience to complex estate and trust disputes and is highly regarded for her work as an ADR accredited mediator. What makes Sally stand out is that she is extremely dedicated, hard-working, and unflappable—a truly cool head in a crisis. I deeply value her ability to balance the technical complexities of a case with a practical, sensitive, yet no-nonsense approach. She is an excellent listener who is prompt, conscientious, and possesses a shrewd approach to non-straightforward cases, always maintaining a great personal touch and compassion for her clients' circumstances.
- Freeths is well known in the contentious probate world not only because of the mediation services offered by some of the contentious probate team, but also because of the annual training session they hold in conjunction with chambers. The team is known as heavy hitters in the contentious probate world, with its members respected for their expertise.
- Sally Goodger is an excellent practitioner. Approachable and sensitive, yet she takes a no-nonsense approach to trying to resolve disputes.
- Freeths is an excellent team with a wealth of knowledge - they know what they are doing.
Work highlights
Represented the beneficiaries of a £150m+ will validity dispute.
Represented the potential beneficiaries of a pension, in a £30 million pension dispute.
Represented the beneficiaries of a £200 million family trust on a possible application to vary the Trust pursuant to the Variation of Trusts Act 1958.
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Charlotte Flynn
Practice head
Sarah Foster
Other key lawyers
Sally Goodger; Charlotte Flynn