The firm represents people like you in disputes with siblings, parents, relatives, caretakers, and even charities in a variety of lawsuits involving wills, trusts, estates and power of attorneys. These suits can often create conflicting emotions and the decision to sue can be difficult. Being sued by a family member can be equally hard. The attorneys at SPENCE | BRIERLEY can work with you to map out a strategy to bring your trust or estate dispute to a conclusion, having handled a considerable number of trust and estate disputes for people like you, whether as a beneficiary, a Trustee or a Personal Representative.
Trust and Estate Disputes are Complex
Litigation of trust and estate disputes is fraught with complexities of which few attorneys are even aware and even fewer can effectively bring to settlement or trial. Get a good lawyer if you have a legal problem involving a trust or an estate dispute. We are good lawyers, very good lawyers. If you need an attorney for a trust or estate dispute, you should call us. Really.
Experience Matters
Adam Spence has handled a considerable number of trust and estate disputes throughout his career, including defending will caveat cases for the University of Nebraska and Drexel University as well as caveating a will for the Baltimore Humane Society.
Over the last five years, Liz Johnson has also developed a heavy concentration in estate and trust disputes, often teaming with Adam to provide guidance and help for clients in this arena. Adam and Liz have considerable experience with both the complex law and procedures involved in estate, will, and trust disputes that are fought in Maryland’s Orphans’ Courts and Circuit Courts.
Because of Adam and Liz’s experience, we can provide insight and advice to help you with your decision to sue, defend or settle. Because of our well known reputation in this area, we not only receive referrals from many other attorneys, but are also able to “out-gun” less knowledgeable counsel in courtroom proceedings. Our firm brings its aggressive approach to litigation of trust and estate disputes to uncover assets and highlight wrongdoing to ensure that you obtain all you are entitled, or protect you if you have been challenged. Having co-authored Negotiating Power Settlements in Litigation and having settled over a thousand cases in his career, Adam Spence can also bring considerable strength to your position when settling your case.
Results in Trust and Estate Disputes
Results that Adam and the firm have achieved for clients include:
- Obtaining a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop misappropriation of estate monies;
- Obtaining an Order requiring the immediate return of estate assets improperly taken by a Personal Representative;
- Obtaining the termination of a family trust in Circuit Court, giving the client the unlimited use of those now unrestricted funds;
- Caveat of a will and numerous pre-death transfers of assets, resulting in recovery of nearly $500,000 for a client;
- Removing a Personal Representative for her failure to fully account for and distribute income;
- Defending a Personal Representative against claims of loss of assets;
- Negotiating the conveyance of a house to our client under a constructive trust claim;
- Obtaining recovery of over $100,000 in funds improperly taken by a personal representative;
- Setting aside a unduly influenced beneficiary change resulting in a $150,000 recovery for our client; and
- Entry of an Order requiring a Special Administrator to fully account for previously undisclosed assets of the estate.
Of course, you probably know that past results (i) do not guarantee future results and (ii) are dependent on the facts of your case, but you should still read our disclaimer.