Private Client (Non-Contentious)

Ten Old Square is universally renowned for its private client work.

We are consistently ranked as one of the top private client sets in Chambers UK, Chambers HNW and The Legal 500. We have won Chambers of the Year at the STEP Private Client Awards twice.

Many of our barristers are also individually ranked, with multiple ‘Star Individual’ and ‘Band 1’ rankings.

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Chambers UK Bar Guide states:

Ten Old Square remains a premier set for handling trusts, probate and estates matters. The bench strength at the set is highlighted as a particular asset, with one interviewee commenting: “The set has a strong set of barristers who between them are able to advise on the full range of chancery matters.” An impressed source echoes this, adding: “They are truly a specialist set for this sort of work, and a ‘go-to’ for high-value or complicated trust or probate litigation. Within that team they certainly have breadth of knowledge.”

Many of our barristers are specialists in related fields such as Court of Protection, Contentious Trusts and Estates, Partnerships, Property and Tax. This means we can provide a comprehensive service at the highest level of expertise for all matters relating to trusts and estates.

Ten Old Square hosts the London Trusts Conference, and our members give regular seminars to other professionals in this area throughout the year.

Contact Us

For more information or to instruct our barristers, please contact our clerks.

Experience

Our private client barristers are among the leading experts in all aspects of private client work, including advice, drafting and applications to court in respect of trusts, wills, estates and other private client matters (both in the UK and in offshore trust jurisdictions). This includes:

  • Advising on the interpretation and effect of wills and trusts
  • Advising on the scope and exercise of trustees’ powers
  • Drafting trust documents, including trust deeds, deeds of appointment and advancement and deeds relating to the appointment and retirement of trustees
  • Drafting wills
  • Drafting post-death deeds of variation / deeds of appointment to mitigate IHT
  • Variation of Trusts Act applications
  • Applications by trustees and personal representatives for directions
  • Applications under section 57 of the Trustee Act 1925 (or similar offshore)
  • Advising on the administration of trusts and estates
  • Dealing with mistakes in the creation and administration of trusts (including applications for the rectification or rescission of trust documents)

Our barristers also advise on the taxation of trusts and estates: please see our Tax page for more details.

Our barristers author some of the leading textbooks in this field, including Williams on Wills (11th edition, 2021), Rossdale on Probate and Administration of Estates (online) and Mellows: Taxation for Executors and Trustees (online). Simon Taube KC, Susannah Meadway and Richard Dew are also members of the influential Trust Law Committee, and Richard Dew is the editor of Private Client Business.

Significant cases

By its nature, much of our barristers’ private client work does not feature in the law reports. Leadingcases in which our barristers have been involved include:

  • Re B (A Child) [2022] EWFC 7, [2022] 4 WLR 34 (authorisation of sale of foreign property on behalf of minors)
  • Ware v Ware [2021] EWHC 694 (Ch), [2021] WTLR 725 (rectification of deeds of appointment)
  • Cotterell v Beaumont (the Allendale Settlements) [2020] EWHC 2234 (Ch), [2020] WTLR 1183 (extension of trustees’ powers)
  • PQ v RS [2019] EWHC 1643 (Ch), [2019] WTLR 1015 (approval of proposed appointment)
  • MN v OP [2019] EWCA Civ 679, [2019] WTLR 941 (reporting restrictions in variation of trusts applications)
  • South Downs Trustees Ltd v GH [2018] EWHC 1064 (Ch), [2018] WTLR 673 (authorisation of sale of trust property)
  • ET v JP [2018] EWHC 685 (Ch), [2018] Ch 565 (variation of trusts for minors lacking capacity)
  • RBC Trustees (CI) Ltd v Stubbs [2017] EWHC 180 (Ch), [2018] WTLR 1399 (rectification of deeds of revocation and appointment).
  • Bathurst v Bathurst [2016] EWHC 3033 (Ch), [2017] WTLR 437 (variation of trusts)
  • A v B [2016] EWHC 340 (Ch), [2016] WTLR 745 (variation of trusts sanctioning a procedure obviating the need to join all beneficiaries to the application)

"A premier set for handling trusts, probate and estates matters."

"They are truly a specialist set for this sort of work."

"Simon is excellent in his field, technically astute and very responsive."

"Georgia has an excellent ability to consider complex trust issues, explain these in a straightforward and give practical and sensible advice."

"Susannah is calm, measured, highly knowledgeable and experienced."

"Richard is thoughtful. He operates at the silk level."

"James is very thoughtful and erudite, with a careful and reasonable demeanour which reassures clients and those instructing him."

"Thomas is a superb all-round barrister. He is bright and punching well above his call."

"Members are regularly instructed in statutory will and gift applications, drawing on the set's recognised strength in private client and tax law."

Private Client (Non-Contentious) Barristers

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