Contentious Probate Solicitor in Bristol
How Can Vicky Help You?
Vicky is a Senior Associate in the Contentious Probate team, based at our Bristol office.
Vicky specialises in Will disputes, with particular experience in dealing with disputed Court of Protection property and financial affairs and health and welfare matters, for vulnerable people who lack capacity to arrange these matters themselves. She regularly advises on financial abuse cases, and has particular experience in bringing and defending Statutory Will applications for protected parties who no longer have the capacity to make a Will themselves.
She acts for a broad range of clients, including charities, professional deputies and attorneys appointed to look after the protected parties affairs, and private individuals from beneficiaries to executors and trustees. She also acted for an Independent Administrator in a long running cross-border dispute involving a contested Swiss estate in the reported case of Green v Astor [2013] EWHC 1857.
Vicky works alongside our nationally acclaimed Charities team and our Estates, Tax and Trusts team, to advise national charities, higher education institutions and Universities in respect of protecting legacies due to them. We also continue to defend a number of contested legacies for national charities and other non-profit organisations.
Examples include:
- Represented a national charity as one of 8 competing charities in a contested Statutory Will application in respect of a £19.5 million estate resolved through a successful mediation. This case required a thorough grasp of complex trust law but also extreme sensitivity to the situation given the protected parties wishes and feelings, and the impact of the application upon the various charitable beneficiaries involved.
- Advising a charity in a Will dispute concerning the application of Re Ratcliffe and Re Benham (the two approaches to calculating Inheritance Tax) and successfully resolving the dispute in favour of the charitable beneficiary so that they did not have to bear the burden of IHT.
Meeting Your Needs
Vicky understands how challenging and overwhelming Will and Court of Protection disputes can be for clients and their families. Vicky is well placed to assist in navigating the highly sensitive and complex issues in a dispute in a calm and approachable manner. She aims to provide her clients with the best possible chance of resolving the dispute in a cost efficient way, often avoiding costly litigation.
What Others Say
"Vicky Ward is a really strong member of the team: clever, quick and unfailingly well prepared for all situations." - Legal 500 2025
'Vicky Ward is excellent, mastering all the detail of a case and providing quick and accurate advice.’ - Legal 500 2025
Vicky's clients have commented:
"Many thanks for all your sound advice and guidance during this very emotional and upsetting ordeal. I have valued your knowledge and understanding during my most anxious moments, thank you for listening and steering in the direction of our outcome"
"Previous to my experience with VWV, dealing with LPA matters was a disaster, I was getting nowhere, let alone the cost. No one, it seemed, took my complaints about my situation and problems with LPA's seriously. VWV have handled a difficult situation in a straight forward and thoughtful manner. I have been consulted frequently and treated with consideration. Information has been thoroughly checked. I feel confident that we are at last getting somewhere in sorting out these problems."
Leading Counsel says:
"VWV have a really excellent Court of Protection team with vast experience in statutory will applications, contested LPAs and deputyship applications. I have worked with Vicky, Julia and Georgina on a particularly complex, high value and multi-party statutory will application. Their calm and thorough approach to the preparation of the case and attention to detail helped to secure a great result for the client. I would really recommend the team to anybody facing a contentious Court of Protection dispute"
What You Might Like to Know
Vicky joined VWV as a paralegal in 2002. She is a member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).
Vicky enjoys spending quality time with her family, running, baking and gardening in her spare time.