Expertise · Neutrality · Discretion · Resolution
Inheritance, probate and trust disputes are different.
They involve law, money, property and, very often, family relationships. Mediation provides a confidential opportunity to find a solution without leaving the outcome entirely to the court.
Specialist mediation for inheritance and private wealth disputes
ProMediate Inheritance, Probate & Trusts provides specialist mediation for disputes involving wills, estates, inheritance, trusts and family wealth.
Our mediators combine substantial dispute-resolution experience with an understanding of the legal, financial and personal issues which arise when families, beneficiaries, executors and trustees disagree.
Practice areas
Disputes we mediate
Contested Wills
Disputes about the validity of a will, including testamentary capacity, execution, knowledge and approval or undue influence.
Inheritance Act Claims
Claims for reasonable financial provision from an estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
Probate & Estate Administration
Disagreements arising during the administration of an estate, including delay, accounts, valuations and distribution.
Executor & Beneficiary Disputes
Conflict between personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries, including removal and breach of duty allegations.
Trust Disputes
Disputes concerning the administration of trusts, the exercise of trustees' discretion and beneficiaries' entitlements.
Proprietary Estoppel
Claims based on assurances about inheritance which were relied upon, often concerning farms and family businesses.
Lifetime Gifts & Capacity
Questions about lifetime gifts and transfers of property, and the capacity or influence surrounding them.
Family Property & Inheritance
Disputes over beneficial ownership of family property where the issue is connected with an estate or inheritance.
The case for mediation
Why mediate?
Litigation over an estate or trust can be expensive, lengthy and destructive of family relationships. Mediation allows the parties to explore practical solutions which a court may not be able to impose.
Control
The parties retain control of whether, and on what terms, the dispute settles. Nothing is imposed by the mediator.
Confidentiality
Mediation takes place privately rather than through a public trial, which can matter greatly in family and private wealth disputes.
Cost
Contested probate and trust litigation can consume a substantial proportion of the assets in dispute.
Flexible solutions
Settlements can potentially address matters beyond the remedies a judge could order, including practical arrangements between family members.
Family relationships
Mediation can provide a less adversarial environment where the parties have continuing family relationships.
Speed
Mediation can take place without waiting for the litigation process to reach trial.
Mediation does not require a party to abandon their legal rights. No settlement is imposed by the mediator: any agreement is reached by the parties themselves, and a party remains free to continue with litigation if the dispute does not settle.
The process
How mediation works
Enquiry
A solicitor, party or professional adviser contacts ProMediate with basic details of the dispute.
Conflict check and arrangements
The proposed mediator checks for conflicts and arrangements are agreed with all parties.
Preparation
The parties provide an agreed mediation bundle or concise position papers and any essential documents.
Mediation
The mediator works confidentially with the parties to explore whether an agreed resolution can be reached.
Mediation may take place online or in person, and can be arranged for a half day or a full day depending upon the nature of the dispute.
Referrals
Who can refer a dispute?
Enquiries are welcome from solicitors, barristers, executors and administrators, trustees, beneficiaries, individuals and professional advisers. Parties do not necessarily need to have commenced court proceedings before mediating.
- Solicitors
- Barristers
- Executors & administrators
- Trustees
- Beneficiaries
- Individuals
- Professional advisers
- Family members
79%
rise in probate caveats since 2010
11,328
caveats entered in 2025
1,217
High Court disputed probate claims in 2025
Research & trends
Inheritance Disputes Are Rising: Probate Caveats Have Increased by Almost 80% Since 2010
The figures behind the growth in contested wills and probate disputes — and why early mediation is becoming increasingly important
Peter Causton · 4 September 2026 · 12 min read
Explore the DataSeries
Inheritance Wars
Inheritance Wars examines real disputes over wills, estates, trusts and family property which have reached the courts — and asks what they can teach us about resolving inheritance disputes through mediation.
Inheritance Act
Inheritance Wars: The Mother Who Left Her Daughter Nothing — and £486,000 to Animal Charities
Ilott v The Blue Cross — can an estranged adult child successfully challenge a parent's will?
Peter Causton · 4 September 2026 · 12 min read
Read the case analysis
Contested Wills
Inheritance Wars: The Harry Potter Books, the Disinherited Daughter and the £350,000 Estate
Clitheroe v Bond — when family suspicion becomes legally significant testamentary delusion
Peter Causton · 4 September 2026 · 12 min read
Read the case analysis
Property & Estoppel
Inheritance Wars: “One Day This Will All Be Yours” — The Family Farm Promise That Ended in Court
Winter v Winter — when a lifetime working in the family business collided with a father's final will
Peter Causton · 4 September 2026 · 10 min read
Read the case analysis
Contested Wills
The £200,000 Stamp Collection Sold for £1: When a Will Dispute Costs Almost as Much as the Estate
Neate v Heselden — testamentary freedom, disappointed beneficiaries and the financial risks of challenging a will
Peter Causton · 4 September 2026 · 9 min read
Read the case analysis
Probate & Estates
Inheritance Wars: The £5 Million Estate and a £490,000 Costs Bill
Teixeira v Moaven — when an inheritance dispute lasts 14 years and ends in indemnity costs
Peter Causton · 4 September 2026 · 9 min read
Read the case analysisInsights
Latest insights
Cases & Commentary
“This case cries out for mediation”: Rogers v Wills and the cost of litigating family inheritance disputes
Two trials, a 2,038-page bundle, substantial costs and a family relationship left in ruins. Rogers v Wills is a powerful reminder that winning an inheritance dispute is not always the same as resolving it.
Peter Causton · 27 August 2026 · 9 min read
Property & Estoppel
When Family Property Disputes Reach the High Court: The Cost of Informal Trusts and Unclear Intentions
Bisiker v Bisiker [2026] EWHC 2070 (Ch) provides another stark illustration of the financial and personal risks of allowing disputes over family property, trusts and inheritance to proceed all the way to trial.
Peter Causton · 25 August 2026 · 10 min read
Mediation & ADR
When the Court orders a party to attend mediation
On 12 September 2025, in the Business and Property Courts at Bristol, His Honour Judge Paul Matthews handed down a judgment that is likely to be studied by both probate practitioners and mediators for some…
Peter Causton · 11 September 2025 · 6 min read
Discuss a Mediation
Tell us briefly about the dispute and we will confirm availability and provide a fixed-fee quotation.