Martin Holdsworth, Partner

Martin Holdsworth is a Partner and Head of Gordons' contentious wills, trusts and probate department.

He works exclusively in this specialist area of law and is an associate member and representative on the national committee of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).  He is also a member of the Probate Section of the Law Society.

Martin has acted for private individuals, estates, trustees and charities in a wide range of actions. He and his team endeavour to resolve disputes through a non-adversarial approach wherever possible and pride themselves on providing a clear, structured approach to resolving what are often complicated factual and legal situations.

Being one of a very small number of specialists in this area of law, Martin's team receives referrals from a wide range of professional organisations including other law firms, banks, accountants and wealth advisors.

Recent cases include challenges to the validity of wills based upon lack of mental capacity, lack of knowledge and/or approval, undue influence, fraud and forgery. The team regularly deals with claims by disappointed beneficiaries for financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and claims seeking the removal of executors who have either failed to carry out their duties in administering an estate or who have exercised those duties improperly. Martin regularly advises and assists trustees in relation to the exercise or otherwise of their fiduciary duties.

Recent cases Martin has been involved in includes the Court of Appeal decision on Martin -v- Browne (2008) concerning duplicate wills.

Martin and his team were awarded the Private Client Award at the Yorkshire Lawyer Awards 2011 and were the only practice outside London to be shortlisted in the contentious trust and estates team of the year category at the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Private Client Awards.