Call: 1999
"Richard is thoughtful. He operates at the silk level."
Legal 500 2025
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Richard Dew is a self-employed, independent barrister whose practice is governed by the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales. He is regulated by The Bar Standards Board [Bar Ref 40317] and is fully insured with the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund [BMIF Ref 2360/053] to provide legal services, please refer to the BMIF website for full details of the world-wide cover provided. He is registered for VAT under the reference 761309146.
Richard Dew’s practice is focussed on Wills, Estates and Trusts and related professional negligence. His practice is predominantly litigation, and he is frequently involved in large and complex claims. He also advises and represents in Court of Protection matters and provides expert advice in respect of tax and tax planning (principally capital taxation).
He is a former chair of the STEP Contentious Trusts and Estates SIG and is the treasurer of the Chancery Bar Association Committee. He also sits on the Law Society’s Wills and Equity Committee. He is a member of STEP and ACTAPS.
Richard is the editor of Private Client Business and an editor of Rossdale’s Administration of Estates. He regularly writes and lectures on chancery and private client matters.
Ranked as a Star individual in Chancery: Traditional and Band 1 in both Trusts and Court of Protection: Property & Affairs in Chambers UK 2022.
Richard has been appointed as a Deputy Master of the Chancery Division.
Richard regularly provides expert tax and tax planning advice, principally related to capital taxation. He is regularly instructed to advise and represent in applications to vary trusts and for the approval of compromises, often involving very substantial trusts.
The majority of Richard’s practice consists of litigation in the private client area, including challenges to Wills and trust, the administration of estates, trusts of land disputes and related professional negligence claims (including tax negligence). He has wide experience of litigation at all levels and considerable expertise in ADR and mediation.
Richard is an acknowledged expert in Court of Protection matters, acting and advising in both contentious and non-contentious matters. He has recent considerable experience in establishing (and ratifying) personal injury trusts.
Most recently, Richard was instructed by the Official Solicitor in respect of the potentially far reaching decision in Re PW, involving conflicts of interest and Deputies.
Richard brings his recognised expertise in the field of Wills, estates, trusts and tax to bear when considering claims against professionals. He is frequently instructed to act and advise in cases where mistakes have occurred (or are said to have occurred) in the drafting of implementation of Wills and trusts or where unexpected charges to tax have given rise to claims against previous advisers, as well as in cases involving breaches of duty by professionals acting in the administration of trusts and estates. He is often asked to assist Firm’s risk departments consider whether claims have arisen or can be avoided.
An important consideration in all such cases is whether liability can be avoided or reduced by ancillary claims, including to set aside or rectify the mistaken document. Richard has successfully acted in many such claims.
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