Marianne is a Senior Associate in our Contentious Probate team.
She has extensive litigation experience specialising in Will disputes, trust disputes, contentious probate including defending contested wills on behalf of our charity residuary beneficiary clients, advising charities on contested statutory will applications, contested court of protection applications and the appointment of deputies.
She acts for private clients, professional executors, trustees and charities and is ideally placed to help you resolve such disputes. Marianne also has considerable experience in professional negligence claims relating to the drafting of wills and negligent tax advice. She has successfully resolved many complex disputes at mediation.
Marianne 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:
- Acting for a charity who was respondent in a contested statutory Will application (£6 million estate) in the Court of Protection.
- Advising a school in defending an Inheritance Act claim brought by the widow of a former pupil, who left most of his estate to the school.
Disputes after the death of a relative can be painful, acrimonious and complex. Marianne believes that litigation is very much a last resort and her aim is to achieve the best possible outcome for clients in the most cost effective way. Marianne is level headed and approachable and has a strong track record of resolving difficult claims using alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation.
Marianne has demonstrated exceptional people skills coupled with sharp business acumen in the handling of our case.
What you might like to know
Marianne joined VWV in 2012 after 21 years at Osborne Clarke. She is a member of the Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).
Marianne is a fluent French speaker and enjoys travelling, yoga and gardening in her spare time.
