Independent Administrator and Trustee Service
We act as court-appointed independent administrators and trustees in some of the most high-value, emotionally charged, and complex estates and trusts across the country.
Led by highly respected partners Michelle Rose and Fiona Lawrence, our team is recognised nationally for its ability to handle sensitive matters with empathy and focus. We bring together litigation specialists, non-contentious probate lawyers, and experts in tax, employment, property and corporate law, creating a truly joined-up service that ensures every angle is considered and every challenge addressed.
Whether dealing with a difficult beneficiary, managing company shares within an estate, or resolving disputes through the courts, we offer clarity and direction at every step. Our team is regularly recommended by other professionals, barristers and mediators who trust us to see estates through to completion.
Administering a contentious estate or trust can be fraught with challenge, especially where relationships have broken down or administration has reached a standstill.
Our Independent Administrator and Trustee Service provides a pragmatic, impartial solution to help move things forward.
Appointed by the Court, we're brought in when disputes between beneficiaries, a lack of trust, or complicated asset issues prevent estates from being properly administered. Our role is to act in the best interests of all beneficiaries, ensuring that the estate is managed and resolved in a way that's fair and transparent
Our expertise
We balance firm decision-making with diplomatic engagement, always aiming to deliver practical solutions in the best interests of the estate.
When clients are looking for a new administrator or trustee for a tricky estate or trust, I almost always suggest the team at VWV. Enormously experienced and excellent at lowering the temperature - keeping their heads when all around are losing theirs - they have steered a safe course through many a choppy estate administration dispute.
Our work highlights
Resolving deadlock caused by an unreasonable beneficiary
We were appointed in a multi-million-pound cross-border estate that had stalled due to one beneficiary's conduct. We untangled the numerous problems afflicting this estate including the recovery of stolen artwork and money hidden in Swiss bank accounts. In the course of the administration, we achieved the landmark High Court decision which remains the leading authority on the treatment of costs in cases where an unreasonable beneficiary's conduct is stalling the administration.
Case: Green v Astor & Ors [2013] EWHC 1857 (Ch)
Managing disputes involving cohabitees and business interests
In a long-running Welsh estate, we navigated multiple disputes involving a former wife and a cohabitee - including partnership and proprietary estoppel claims. We coordinated litigation across practice areas to steer the estate towards resolution.
Case: R v Clemo (Gillian) [2014] EWCA Crim
Appointed in a £10m family company dispute
We stepped in to administer the estates of a husband and wife where six siblings were in conflict. This included appointing new directors, responding to employment tribunal claims and resolving serious liquidity issues with the support of tax and valuation experts.
Case: McDonald v Rose & Ors [2019] EWCA Civ 4
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