Dino Sikkel
Partner
Will, trust and probate disputes
I am a partner in the contentious trusts and probate team, ranked as a ‘leading partner’ in the Legal 500 for the South East and a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS).
I specialise in handling high-stakes trust and estate disputes, resolving complex conflicts regarding the validity of wills, trust administration, and disputes under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
A core component of my practice involves litigation surrounding multi-million-pound family businesses and farming partnerships, often navigating the intricate intersection between partnership law, proprietary estoppel, and succession.
I am robust in my approach and will fight my client’s corner to protect their commercial and legal interests. However, I also recognise that estate and trust disputes are often deeply personal matters that require empathy, trust and the exploration of pragmatic solutions.
As a forward-thinking strategist, I am at the forefront of modern legal practice. I leverage advanced legal technology to drive cost-efficiency and strategic advantage where that can be achieved.
Areas of expertise:
- High-value 1975 Act claims
- Will validity challenges (capacity, undue influence, fraud)
- Farming partnership disputes and proprietary estoppel
- Removal of executors and trustees
- Complex family business succession disputes
Qualifications and memberships
- Admitted as a solicitor in October 2014
- Member of The Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists
If I'm unavailable, please contact:
Sarah Stone
Legal Secretary +44 (0)1892 506 275 [email protected]
Sharon Borrows
Legal Secretary +44 (0)1892 506 167 [email protected]
Download PDFMy experience
Successfully resolved a complex dispute on behalf of the beneficiaries to a £950,000 estate involving multiple claims, including a 1975 Act claim.
Successfully acted for and negotiated a high value settlements for a claimant under the 1975 Act in respect of their parents’ multi-million pound estate.
Successfully represented the litigation friend to a child on a dispute over the construction of a will relating to a multimillion pound estate.
Successfully prevented a claimant from pursuing a s.50 Administration of Justice Act 1985 claim for the removal and replacement of an executor client while resolving a dispute over estate assets.
Successfully resolved a complex dispute over the validity of a Deceased’s Will and the administration of an estate, which included a high value business and assets with a collective value of c£6 million.
How we made a difference
My thinking
The six-month deadline: how to overcome the time limit for bringing an Inheritance Act Claim
What is the 1975 Act and what claims can be made under it?
Where there’s a Will, there’s a way
Claims by adult children in a post-Ilot landscape
Hirachand v Hirachand to be reconsidered by Supreme Court
Executor and trustees fees: better safe than sorry
How mental health disorders are treated in the context of will validity claims – delusional disorders
Poisoning a testator’s mind: fraudulent calumny
Williams v Williams 2022: proprietary estoppel claim
Cooper v Chapman [2022]: the High Court finds a will to be valid despite the absence of the executed original and any copies
Awards
