Stephen Richards

Stephen heads the trust and succession disputes team at Withers and co-leads the elder law team. He advises a range of clients, both onshore and offshore, including beneficiaries, fiduciaries (including trustees, executors and attorneys) and charities in relation to trust, succession, inheritance and Court of Protection disputes. Stephen advises on all aspects of Court of Protection matters and increasingly advises on investigations by the Office of the Public Guardian. The majority of Stephen's cases involve cross-border issues as highlighted by Re MN, the first reported Court of Protection cross-border welfare dispute. For the past 14 years Stephen has advised international, national and local charities/not for profit organisations on defending their legacy income. He represented the charities in Re. ITW, one of the first statutory will judgments after the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act. Stephen also regularly advises on disputes about the validity of wills, claims to assets held on trust by a deceased and for both claimants and defendants in Inheritance (Provision for Families & Dependants) Act 1975 claims. Stephen works with his private client colleagues in advising clients what steps they can take now in their estate planning to avoid disputes at a later stage.