Kelly is a Legal Director specialising in contentious probate and inheritance disputes. She qualified as a solicitor in 2013 and was promoted to Legal Director in April 2026, reflecting her standing as one of the firm's leading voices in this complex and often emotionally charged area of law.
Kelly acts for beneficiaries, executors and trustees across the full range of inheritance disputes from challenges to the validity or interpretation of wills, to claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, to disputes concerning the conduct of executors and trustees. Her work frequently involves high-value and complex estates, including those with significant property or business assets and matters where family relationships are under considerable strain.
Her approach is clear, pragmatic and strategic. She gives honest advice on prospects and risk, keeps a firm focus on proportionality and wherever possible looks to resolve disputes efficiently and sensitively without unnecessary cost or stress to her clients. When court proceedings are required, she is an experienced litigator who will pursue her client's interests robustly.
"I help clients protect inherited wealth, manage risk and resolve disputes with confidence guiding them through what is often one of the most challenging legal situations they will face."
Experience includes:
- Acting for a high-net-worth beneficiary in challenging a will made late in life that did not appear to reflect the deceased's true intentions, negotiating a favourable resolution without the need for trial
- Advising an executor facing accusations of delay and poor estate management, responding robustly to allegations and enabling them to complete the administration without further challenge
- Acting for an adult child excluded from a parent's will who was experiencing financial hardship, securing financial provision through negotiation without court proceedings
- Advising a beneficiary in a dispute over a property-rich family estate, achieving an early and cost-effective resolution that secured the client's full entitlement
- Acting for a trustee in a sibling dispute over the running of a family trust, resolving the matter without court involvement and restoring the smooth operation of the trust
- Acting for a farmer in a proprietary estoppel claim, where he had worked the land his whole life on the promise it would pass to him, only for the will to reflect otherwise and his siblings to refuse to honour that promise
- Successfully defending an executor whose removal had been sought by beneficiaries alleging inappropriate conduct during the administration of an estate
Qualifications & memberships
Kelly is a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS). A recognised mark of expertise in this niche and demanding area of law.
