Success for Partner who achieves Associate Membership of ACTAPS

We are very pleased to announce that Patrick Jenkins, Litigation Partner at Macdonald Oates LLP Solicitors, has been accepted as an Associate Member of The Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).

The prestigious association is a forum for lawyers who specialise in contentious trust and probate work to exchange experience and know-how on this complex area of law. To be accepted as an Associate Member, lawyers must successfully complete a rigorous three year training course.

As well as ensuring that its members are specialists in dealing with contentious probate cases, ACTAPS have also produced a code of conduct which its members must adhere to. The main aim for ACTAPS is to provide clear guidance for solicitors dealing with contentious trust and probate disputes and a focus on Court proceedings being the last resort.  By following the Code the objective is to pursue claims in a manner which will help avoid hostile litigation but, where litigation is necessary, to ensure that it is simplified through the exchange of relevant information and documentation before a claim is actually issued at Court.  This helps to avoid the high costs of litigation and to maximise the prospect of achieving an early settlement whether by negotiation or formal mediation. This is ultimately in the client’s best interests.

MacDonald Oates has significant experience of handling claims concerning disputed wills (including ‘mutual wills’ claims) and inheritances, whether acting against an estate or for one of the executors. This includes acting for clients in claims ranging from smaller to multi million pound estates in the High Court. Patrick and his team also have considerable experience of Court of Protection claims and claims relating to the abuse of Powers of Attorney, as well as disputes between trustees, including applications to remove trustees and executors.

On being accepted as an associate member of ACTAPS, Patrick commented, “Having specialised in this field for several years I am delighted to have completed the ACTAPS course. Membership is a benchmark for practitioners in this field and it underlines my own experience and that of our teams of both contentious and non-contentious lawyers when it comes to providing specialist, tailored advice to our clients”.