Chris Unsworth is a Senior Associate in the TWM Will, Trust and Estate Disputes team, working out of the firm’s Guildford office. Chris has many years of litigation experience, including being instructed in what is believed to be the largest value contentious probate claim to ever go through the High Court. He has particular interests in complex and high value Will and Trust claims and regularly deals with UK and international individuals, including high net worth individuals, their families and trustees.
Chris deals with all types of Trust and Estate Disputes including:
- Lack of testamentary capacity, due execution or knowledge and approval of the Will;
- Undue influence, duress, fraud or forgery;
- Inheritance Act claims; and
- Breach of Trust and breach of Fiduciary Duties.
Chris is regularly praised by clients for his relaxed and approachable demeanour, and his ability to quickly grasp the key issues in a claim. His client’s interests are at the forefront of everything he does in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for them.
Outside of work, when not making Lego with his son, Chris will invariably be found curled up on the sofa with a book or trying to convince people why Lord of the Rings is the greatest book ever written!
Recent highlights
- Reeves v Drew – Chris acted for one of the defendants in this widely reported case, disputing the Will of a deceased with a 100m estate.
- Acting for the children of a deceased in a proprietary estoppel claim for the family farm
- A dispute involving a multi-million pound estate. Acting for the life interest widow against the trustees in which the relationship had broken down. Provided a practical solution that enabled all parties to resolve a number of technical issues and ultimately make a clean break
- Advising trustees of a £30m landed estate in Hampshire, concerning allegations of breaches of duty by trustees and establishing a way forward that protected the wishes of the deceased.
