Litigation

Whether a dispute has arisen following the death of a relative, you are concerned that a vulnerable adult’s finances are being exploited, or your parent is selling the family home to fund their care, our specialist Litigation solicitors have the expertise to help you find a solution to your problem or to achieve your desired outcome.

We have expertise in the following niche areas:

Will disputes
Inheritance claims
Disputes between Executors and Beneficiaries
Financial Abuse
Dispute Resolution: Debt and Contract
Missing people
Continuing Healthcare claims

Disputes like these can be extremely upsetting and complicated. At Ridley and Hall, our Litigation solicitors take great pride in being:

Experts in their field
Friendly and approachable
Passionate about getting the best outcome for you and your case.

When it comes to funding your case, we are able to offer a variety of options depending on your case and of course, your own needs. Ask us if we are able to act for you on a No Win, No Fee basis.

For certain areas of work, where the sums involved are not necessarily significant, but the dispute is important to you, we may be able to offer you a fixed fee of £300 plus VAT for initial advice from a senior solicitor for up to an hour, either in person or via a video or telephone call.

You can learn more about the areas of law we advise on below;

Our Areas of Expertise

Executor & Beneficiary
Disputes

Dispute Resolution

Financial
Abuse

Inheritance
Claims

Missing
People

Contentious
Probate

Property Ownership
Disputes

Continuing Healthcare
Claims

The Legal 500 – The Clients Guide to Law Firms

The Legal 500 Says:

“The key focus of the contentious trusts and probate team at Ridley & Hall remains cases involving financial abuse of the elderly, particularly those with a predatory marriage element. Other work undertaken by the firm includes assisting the families of missing persons, and handling executor and beneficiary disputes. The practice, which is headed up by Sarah Young, was strengthened by the arrival of James Urquhart-Burton, formerly of Simpson Millar LLP, in early 2020.”

Our People

Sarah Young

Director

Sarah Young specialises in contentious probate law, which includes advising on inheritance disputes, problems with executors and arguments involving financial abuse of the elderly (often involving disputes over property ownership)....

James Urquhart-Burton

Partner

James is an experienced solicitor who joined the Litigation Team at Ridley & Hall as a Partner in January 2020. James is a fully accredited member of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE) and he brings with him passion and understanding of the legal challenges faced by older people and their families....

David Wilson

Associate Solicitor

David joined Newman & Bond (now Ridley & Hall incorporating Newman & Bond) in August 2019 as an associate solicitor in the litigation department....

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Gareth Jones

Associate Solicitor

Gareth is an experienced solicitor and joins the firm having spent 15 years with another Yorkshire firm practising in litigation. Gareth undertakes contentious probate work including claims for Financial Abuse, claims for reasonable provision pursuant to the Inheritance Act 1975 and claims against executors....

Rebecca Kershaw

Apprentice Solicitor

Rebecca joined Ridley & Hall in 2023 to begin her legal career as a solicitor apprentice based in the litigation department, learning on the job about contentious probate, financial abuse, property ownership disputes, and much more....

I just want to say how thankful I am for all James’ time, effort and sheer professionalism from start to finish. I was sceptical about whether we would be able to retrieve the information that was needed in relation to my case, but with his incredible knowledge and litigation skills, James proved otherwise. James’ turnaround times and his super-fast responses have been second to none, and I certainly would not hesitate to recommend him to others in times of need! He is a credit to Ridley & Hall.

Litigation Client – December 2023

It was so nice to have such a supportive team behind me when you consider the challenges I’ve had with solicitors in the past. It was a long journey with a number of peaks/troughs but I’m so glad that we persevered. It’s so nice to close the door on this one and I know without your support this would not have happened so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Litigation Client – 16 June 2022

Communication was amazing and extremely professional in manner. James was extremely professional and caring. He managed to help my mother and myself when things were dire and appeared bleak.

Litigation Client – 20 March 2022

Your team did what they said they would, I was given honest advice and felt that you had my best interests at the forefront of any actions taken, Sarah went above and beyond to make herself available to me. Both Sarah and Tracey gave me confidence in them just by calling when they said they would and I felt they were really supportive especially during times I wasn’t sure what to do. Thank you so much.

Litigation Client – February 2022

It’s been a long road to get here but without you it would have never got resolved the way it has. We are all so grateful for everything you have done, so a huge thank you from all of us. We all just want to lay Sam to rest and put the whole thing behind us now, so pleased Sams wishes have been met…

Client, on behalf of herself and other beneficiaries, who successfully defended a will validity claim

I would like to say a huge thank you to James Urquhart-Burton for representing me to defend an Inheritance Act claim against the estate of my late husband. I am immensely grateful for the way that he supported me through a difficult time, acted as a confidant, and was even in many ways a shoulder to cry on, all whilst being a highly professional advisor throughout. It was a very upsetting experience to deal with following my husband’s death, but James gave me a feeling of genuine support which carried me through the worst times.

Inheritance Claims Client – 22 January 2022

You have provided an excellent service to my family. Your initial introduction, your open-ness about what was involved, estimates of costs, the way you managed expectations, your quiet confidence on chances of success, your handling of the interviews. – flawless throughout.

Litigation Client – 22 December 2021

After a two year contentious probate battle with people that were both selfish and threatening, Sarah Young was recommended to us at Ridley and Hall. Sarah immediately put us at ease she guided us all through a very upsetting time and kept us all very positive not wanting us to throw in the towel. She was a massive support as well as a superb solicitor with her expert knowledge, she was patient and is extremely passionate about her job. The constant threats and innuendos lasted another two years during this time Sarah was very professional and fought our case, she explained everything to us every step of the way. Finally the outcome was as Sarah predicted through her professionalism in these cases, we are very thankful to Sarah who I’m glad to say represented us no wonder Ridley and Hall are an award winning firm.

Contentious Probate Client – November 2021

I instructed James to help me address a potential dispute against my late partner’s estate and I am so pleased with how well he helped me, putting me at ease throughout the whole process. I really don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been so patient with me and my questions!

Contentious Probate Client – 14 May 2021

I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that J’s trust fund is now being distributed. I am so pleased to have closure and this will help me to move forward. I wanted to express my personal thanks and gratitude for your advice and expertise in moving things forward for me.

Litigation Client – 14 January 2021