Charlotte Watts

Charlotte is a partner in our Will & Trust Disputes team. She trained with Wilsons and qualified as a solicitor in 2005, and became a partner in 2013.

Charlotte is a member of Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS), the Charity Law Association and STEP. Charlotte is also a regular speaker at our annual Charity Legacy Officers' Seminars, and is recommended in both Chambers and Legal 500.

Charlotte was recently awarded a STEP Excellence Award as the highest scoring student in the STEP Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes.

Recent highlights

- Representing a charity in a complex multi-party statutory will case involving an estate of over £1.5m, helping the charity to receive 28% of the estate (over £400,000);

- Representing a number of charities in a claim by the deceased's stepdaughter under the Inheritance Act. The estate was worth around £340,000, and Charlotte settled the claim at an early stage for a payment of only £5,000 inclusive of costs, less than 2% of the estate;

- Representing three charities in a claim by the deceased's daughter under the Inheritance Act and against the will on the ground of lack of testamentary capacity. The estate was worth £600,000, and the matter settled at mediation for a payment of less than 25% of the estate to the daughter;

- King v Dubrey [2015] EWCA Civ 581 – acting for the successful appellants in the leading case on donatio mortis causa;

- RNLI v Headley [2016] EWHC 1948 (Ch) – acting with Alice Vale for the successful charitable remainder beneficiaries of a trust in obtaining an order against the professional trustee to provide accounts. The judgment clarified the law surrounding the requirement for trustees to provide accounts.