Andrew McManus
Articles by Andrew McManus
19 Aug 2026 Two Countries, Two Wills, One Estate
International families can leave behind estates which do not fit neatly within one legal system. Anthony had spent significant periods of his adult life in more than one country. He owned a home and investments in England, together with property and financial assets overseas. Following his death, his family identified two testamentary documents. One had […]
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28 Jul 2026 “But… I’m the next of kin!”
Being next of kin does not automatically give you legal authority. We explain what the term means for decisions, estates and inheritance.
Read more 19 Jul 2026 The Executor Wasn’t Dishonest. He Was Overwhelmed.
Serious delay in administering an estate can justify intervention. It does not necessarily mean that an executor has acted dishonestly. James was appointed as the sole executor of his father’s estate. On paper, the administration was relatively conventional. There was a house to sell, several investment accounts, personal possessions and some tax issues to resolve. […]
Read more 2 Jul 2026 The Family Business Could Not Wait for the Probate Dispute
Sometimes the most important asset in an estate cannot simply be left untouched while a family resolves its differences. A substantial part of David’s estate consisted of his interest in a successful family business. Two of his children worked in the company. A third had pursued a different career and had no involvement in its […]
Read more 22 Jun 2026 I Was Left Out of the Will
Being excluded from a will is upsetting. It does not automatically mean the will is invalid or that you have no legal remedy. The death of a parent is difficult enough without discovering that you have been left out of their will. Many people contact us in the days or weeks after probate has begun, […]
Read more 5 Jun 2026 Dad Changed His Will Just Before He Died
Sometimes, the timing of a new will raises difficult questions. John had always assumed his father’s estate would be divided equally between the three children. That was what his father had said for years and it reflected the previous will that had been prepared some years earlier. Over the last eighteen months of his life, […]
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27 May 2026 Service out of the Jurisdiction: Gateways, Permission and Getting the Foundations Right
Cross-border probate, trust and insolvency disputes often become procedurally unstable long before the parties get anywhere near the merits of the dispute. The problem is usually not that the law is any more obscure in cross-border matters but that lawyers can move too quickly to mechanical points such as how to serve, where to serve, or whether a document came to the defendant’s attention, without first asking the more fundamental questions:
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11 Mar 2026 Executor Deadlock: What Happens When Executors Can’t Agree
When two or more executors are appointed under a will, the law expects them to act jointly. Each executor has equal authority and responsibility for administering the estate.
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3 Dec 2025 Contesting a Will: The Main Grounds Explained
Challenging a will is never a step taken lightly. For families already coping with loss, it can feel uncomfortable or even confrontational. Yet when serious doubts arise about how a will was made, English law provides clear routes to contest it.
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