Sarah Lawrenson | Manchester, Leeds & Birmingham

Sarah has a great deal of experience in all types of trust, probate and wills cases including:

Inheritance Act Claim (including s.4, s.9 and s.10 application and domicile issues);

Disputes over the validity and construction of wills;

Testamentary capacity and undue influence;

Deeds of variation and rectification;

Liability and removal of executor and personal representatives;

Validity of lifetime gifts;

Insolvent Estates;

Trusts and beneficial interest of property (including co-habitee disputes);

Real property and boundary disputes.

Sarah often acts in cases involving minors or patients.

Significant Reported Cases

Paratus AMC v Fosuhene [2013] EWCA Civ 827 – successful in the Chancery Division and Court of Appeal at upholding a decision in support of and clarifying the position for lenders who accept third party payments.

Sylvester v Sylvester – Chancery Division - £1m estate and IPDFA claim. Acted for the Executor. Preliminary issue on domicile. Settled the IPFDA after lengthy mediation and then subsequent round table meeting. Settled associated case with costs before judgment but following trial on survivorship and application of presumption of advancement in relation to joint bank accounts. Also successful s.50 AJA application to remove other executors (both professional and lay).

Barry Quayle v G and SM Robson and Ors  (Banham Group Litigation) [2013] – Acted for Estate of owner/headmaster of a School in which allegations of historic child abuse were made. Successful in resisting an application to extend the limitation period.

Sarah has a great deal of experience in all types of trust, probate and wills cases including:

Inheritance Act Claim (including s.4, s.9 and s.10 application and domicile issues);

Disputes over the validity and construction of wills;

Testamentary capacity and undue influence;

Deeds of variation and rectification;

Liability and removal of executor and personal representatives;

Validity of lifetime gifts;

Insolvent Estates;

Trusts and beneficial interest of property (including co-habitee disputes);

Real property and boundary disputes.

Sarah often acts in cases involving minors or patients.

Significant Reported Cases

Paratus AMC v Fosuhene [2013] EWCA Civ 827 – successful in the Chancery Division and Court of Appeal at upholding a decision in support of and clarifying the position for lenders who accept third party payments.

Sylvester v Sylvester – Chancery Division - £1m estate and IPDFA claim. Acted for the Executor. Preliminary issue on domicile. Settled the IPFDA after lengthy mediation and then subsequent round table meeting. Settled associated case with costs before judgment but following trial on survivorship and application of presumption of advancement in relation to joint bank accounts. Also successful s.50 AJA application to remove other executors (both professional and lay).

Barry Quayle v G and SM Robson and Ors  (Banham Group Litigation) [2013] – Acted for Estate of owner/headmaster of a School in which allegations of historic child abuse were made. Successful in resisting an application to extend the limitation period.

Sarah has experience in all types of property, technology, construction and engineering disputes. She has acted for insurers, employers, contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers, homeowners and professionals. Her work has included disputes concerning the proper construction and operation of contracts, claims for delays and disruption and loss, claims for defective works and claims against professionals for negligent design works or project management. She has experience of third party nuisance claims and applications regarding limitation.

Sarah has been involved in numerous arbitrations, adjudications, enforcement of adjudication decision and appeals from arbitration decisions.

Significant Reported Cases

Termax Construction Company Limited (In Liquidation) v BW Sipp Trustees Limited & Edward Davies and ors [–TCC. Acted for the Defendants in successful preliminary hearing on limitation in a construction dispute.

Saima Khaliq v Gateway Homes Limited & Clydesdale Bank – successful application on behalf of the Claimant before HM Land Registry Adjudicator relating to fraudulent sale of property to the Defendant by a third party. Costs awarded.

JTH Construction Limited v George Camm High Court – Successfully obtained an injunction and declaration regarding ownership of land so that Claimant could begin development works.