Ashleigh Carr

Practice Areas

Ashleigh is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team, specialising exclusively in contentious trusts and estates. She is highly qualified in this area, with experience spanning the full spectrum of trust and estate disputes. Ashleigh acts in relation to high value and/or complex intra-familial disputes, instructed by both professionals and private individuals, based nationally and internationally.

Ashleigh's experience in Contentious Trusts include Advising in relation to trustee powers and breach of trust claims, including claims in relation to investment powers, assisting in the retirement of trustees and the appointment of new trustees, applications for the removal and replacement of trustees, disputes involving protectors, the variation of trusts, applications for the blessing of a trustee decision re; Public Trustee v Cooper, construction, rectification, and mistake in the context of trusts and advising trustees in the context of ancillary proceedings on divorce.

Ashleigh's experience in Contentious Probate include validity challenges to Wills (on the grounds of lack of capacity, undue influence, want of knowledge and approval, lack of due execution; and advice where there are allegations of fraudulent calumny), claims pursuant to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, issues relating to the construction and rectification of Wills

Disputes between executors and/or beneficiaries, relating to the administration of estates and including applications for the removal and replacement of personal representatives and claims relating to inherited land and property, including proprietary estoppel claims.

Ashleigh is regularly asked by clients and fiduciaries to ‘stress test’ trusts or Wills and assist the non-contentious private client team in winding up trust structures/the division of trust assets where there are potentially contentious issues arising. She assists the family department with pre-nuptial agreements and other issues arising on separation and divorce where there are family trusts.

She also has experience in contested Court of Protection matters (including challenges to lifetime gifts, relating to financial abuse and Lasting Powers of Attorney or deputyships), claims pursuant to the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 and professional negligence claims arising in the context of trust and estates.

Professional Memberships

Ashleigh is co-chair of ConTrA (the Contentious Trusts Association), an organisation of over 800 members, the objective of which is to bring together up-and-coming solicitors and counsel specialising in trust disputes.

Ashleigh is also a member of ACTAPS (the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists), an affiliate member of STEP (having completed the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes), the London Irish Lawyers Association and a committee member of the Irish Solicitors Bar Association, London.