Laceys Solicitors Laceys is a leading, forward-thinking law firm with specialist experts serving both individual and business clients across a broad spectrum of practice areas.

Alison is head of our Private Client team specialising primarily in Estate Administration and Powers of Attorney. 

She has undertaken private client work for over 25 years in the local area, since qualifying as a Chartered Legal Executive in 1998. Prior to moving to Laceys in 2023, she headed up a very successful dedicated Probate team within a large corporate environment dealing with a wide range of estates and intestacies from the very straightforward to the more complex and high net worth estates.

Alison adopts a sympathetic and patient approach to a family’s needs at what can be a very emotional time.  She prides herself on being efficient and professional but friendly and approachable at the some time.

Outside of the office Alison is married with a teenage daughter and enjoys cooking, reading, spending time with family and friends and foreign travel.

Rob practices in two main, complimentary areas of work – contentious wills, probate and trust disputes, and property disputes.

Contentious wills, probate and trusts

More than half of Rob’s time is spent dealing with the contentious aspects of wills, probate and trusts, an area in which he has practiced continuously for over 20 years.  He advises and acts in disputes relating to wills and inheritance, trusts, the duties of trustees and personal representatives, and the administration of estate.

Rob’s practice embraces:

• Personal representative and trustee disputes (including personal representative and trustee disagreements, removals / substitutions and alleged misconduct)
• Disappointed beneficiary claims
• Will disputes (where the validity of a will is challenged on the grounds of undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, lack of knowledge and approval of the contents of a will, and fraudulent calumny)
• Financial provision claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Proprietary estoppel claims
• Disputes about the proper construction, and rectification, of wills
• Caveats
• Professional liability claims arising from the preparation of wills and trusts and the administration of estates

He has mediated (either as appointed mediator or as a representative) dozens of disputes involving contentious wills and probate issues.

Property disputes

The other side of Rob’s practice is contentious property work.  This embraces:

• Residential and commercial landlord and tenant disputes
• Disrepairs
• Repairing covenants
• Possession claims
• Lease termination and lease forfeiture
• Dilapidations
• Service charge disputes
• Interpretation and enforcement of leasehold covenants

Rob’s style is a mix of listening, asking (tough) questions, diplomacy and reality testing. He’s interested, flexible, and pragmatic. He offers a common sense, realistic approach to assist his clients in searching for solutions to their disputes and brings straight talking and integrity to his work.

Rob is a Solicitor. He successfully completed training as a mediator under the ADR Chambers / Harvard Law Project Scheme in June 2006 and is a member of the Civil Mediation Council.

Kate is a Partner in our Private Client Team and has 25 years’ experience in private client work, specialising in wills, tax planning and estate administration. Kate has worked in this area since she qualified and has assisted thousands of families and individuals.

Kate qualified as a solicitor in 1995 after obtaining a 2.1 in Law from the University of Kent. She completed her training contract with Laceys and became a partner in 2002.

Kate is a full member of the Society of Estate and Trust Practitioners (STEP) and sat on the STEP committee for 6 years. She has also taught on the Legal Executives course at Bournemouth & Poole College.

Kate enjoys the personal side of the work and the satisfaction of assisting the bereaved and families with complex affairs, whether it be complex financial aspects or those where a diplomatic hand is required. She prides herself on being able to explain the legal position in plain English.

Out of the office she enjoys keeping fit. She enjoys going to the gym and getting out into the Dorset countryside on her road bike. Cooking, particularly baking, is also a passion.

Deborah is a Chartered Legal Executive who has worked in the Private Client department at Laceys for over 18 years.

Deborahs journey to Laceys started in 1985 when she qualified as a FILEX. She then undertook her Associateship in Taunton and completed her Fellowship in Poole.  Aside from a couple of years in Gibraltar, Deborah then gained valuable experience working for various local firms in their private client departments before joining Laceys in 2000.

She specialises in all areas of private client work, wills, powers of attorney, tax planning, Court of Protection, administration of estates, NHS Continuing Care, welfare benefits and all issues related to the elderly and infirm. She finds this area of law quite holistic – it is not just a matter of applying rules and regulations but organising a client’s affairs in such a way that they are made easier and clearer during what can be a very emotional and upsetting time.  Her work requires a very good and patient listening ear, bedside manner and sometimes a sense of humour but still achieving the client’s objectives on time.

When time permits she enjoys reading, cooking and relaxing by the Christchurch River but only when the sun shines! Travelling is a great hobby but there is never enough time to visit all. She has four stepchildren, four grandchildren plus a nephew and niece who help keep her busy at home!