Although designed predominantly for those practising in England and Wales, the course also services international practitioners focused on international issues. It combines technical knowledge with practical application of the law and procedures involved, building a foundation of knowledge in dealing with contentious estates on which to build further expertise.

This course is suitable for contentious lawyers and other practitioners (e.g., non-contentious lawyers, accountants offering probate, family law practitioners and charity lawyers) wishing to enhance their knowledge of what can go wrong if wills and probate are not prepared properly. There are 12 modules covering the following topics:

1. Disputed wills
2. Interpretation, rectification and construction of wills
3. Administration of disputes
4. Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 claims
5. Settlement and compromise of claims
6. Insolvent estates
7. The England and Wales Court of Protection and statutory wills
8. Claims against professionals
9. International succession disputes
10. International administration disputes
11. Forced-heirship claims
12. Costs

The course is delivered online by our education partner, CLTI, and includes practical examples and end-of-module tests to assess your understanding. It is available for enrolment on a rolling basis, so you can access and study the materials over a 12-month period without waiting for set course dates. An optional multiple-choice assessment is included at the end of the course, with successful students receiving a certificate of completion. For pricing, see www.step.org/contentious-estates