Brian Harding has over 30 years of experience in probate and trust administration. He has worked at several law firms as both an employee and contractor, handling estates, trusts, taxes, and contentious probate cases. His expertise includes administering complex, high-value estates and trusts involving tax planning, property distribution, and litigation. Currently, he is a self-employed probate practitioner providing specialized services such as estate and trust administration.

1. CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME: BRIAN JOHN HARDING
ADDRESS: 61 Bateman Road
Chingford
London E4 8ND
TELEPHONE: 020 8527 9098
MOBILE: 07808 886997
Website: www.probateandtrust.co.uk
e-mail: brianharding528@gmail.com
PERSONAL STATEMENT
I am a practitioner with over 30 years’ experience in probate and trust administration, including
from the Public Trust Office and Farrers Solicitors. My flexible approach has benefitted many law
firms where I work as a locum on contract basis offering a professional, confidential and
sympathetic service or offering case load help where necessary.
Recent locum contracts include:-
• Arcadian Law, Wanstead
• Norman H Barnett, East Ham
• Sorrells, Chipping Ongar
• Ardens, Liverpool Street
• Merchant Legal, South Morden
• Feldman & Co, Baker Street
• Bearing Sachs, Stratford
• Garcia Martin, Chiswick
• Howard Kennedy, Central London
DETAILS OF EMPLOYMENT:
November 2007 – Present: Self-employed Probate Practitioner (T/A Probate & Trust)
My expertise is at a specialist level, covering complex, high net-worth trusts and incorporates the
following services: -
• Administering estates from the notification of death to final distribution, including advising
clients as to distribution of estates;
• Liaising with Inland Revenue/Accountants and other professionals;
• Preparation of Inland Revenue Accounts, Income and Capital Gains Tax returns, all Estate
Accounts from the files and printouts
• Preparation of all types of trust instruments including Deeds of Variation;
• Contentious probates/fraudulent Wills/claims under the Inheritance Tax (Family &
Dependants) Act 1975;
• Trusts arising out of Wills, including trust administration;
• Trust accounts and obtaining investment advices;
• Advising clients as to effective tax planning;
• Preparation and registration of Lasting Powers of Attorney and Deputyship Orders;
• Applications to the Public Guardianship, including administration of receivership and
receivership accounts;
• Drafting Wills and Codicils.

2. Increasingly I have been engaged in the areas of contentious probate which include:-
• Advising Executors of an Estate faced with a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for
Family and Dependants) Act 1975 as to their role in the proceedings, particularly in view of
the complex management issues of the Estate which comprised assets in excess of £1
million;
• Acting for second wife of deceased defending a claim under the 1975 Act by first wife on
behalf of their children and advising in a claim for mal-administration against her co-
executor, who unfortunately was the brother of the first wife and they both lived in Australia;
• Acting for dissatisfied beneficiaries in mal-administration cases against firms of solicitors
and individuals appointed either by Will or the Rules of Intestacy;
• Advising Court appointed Administrator on all aspects of estate administration and
successfully defending a claim for mal-administration;
• Advising disappointed beneficiaries under a Will which failed to provide for them and
successfully achieving a settlement of their claim that the deceased lacked testamentary
capacity and did not approve the content of his Will;
• Acting for the defendants in claims where the validity of a UK Will was challenged on the
grounds of undue influence and testamentary capacity
• Acting for the plaintiffs in a successful claim where the validity of a UK Will is challenged on
the grounds of forgery. The plaintiffs receiving their share of the estate under the Rules of
Intestacy;
• Acting for disappointed beneficiaries under a Will where the Will was defective and unclear
and achieving a settlement on their behalf;
• Producing Estate Accounts from incomplete records and quantifying the sums involved on
behalf a firm of solicitor’s. One of their employees having fraudulently obtained monies
from various estates for which he was responsible;
• Advising solicitors, originally appointed to administer the estate by the Executors who were
also the deceased’s children, in establishing and finalising the estate and refuting
allegations of mal-administration from new solicitors appointed by Executors;
• Advising Personal Representative of a deceased brother in relation to an action by the
insurance company of the deceased’s vehicle and the solicitors acting for a passenger in
the car. The passenger in the car, who was also the partner of the deceased, was seriously
injured and the vehicle found to be unroadworthy;
• Acting for the mother (second of four wives of the deceased) of a Downs Syndrome minor
to preserve his entitlement under the deceased’s Will. Advised client regarding the removal
of the Executor, who was also the widow of the deceased and who it was believed intended
to return to Nigeria with the entire proceeds of the estate;
• Acting for the second wife and Personal Representative of the deceased in order to
establish the assets of the estate. The deceased’s children from his first marriage had
removed all documents from the house and were attempting to fraudulently liquidise the
estate. They had also obtained finance in the name of the deceased and the Credit Card
companies were pursuing our client for settlement;
• Advising daughter of deceased regarding an unsuccessful claim by her brother, the
Executor, that she had removed items from the deceased’s property without his knowledge
or approval;
September 2007 – November 2007: Finers Stephen Innocent LLP
Locum on two-month contract with a major West End Media/Commercial firm, dealing with all
probate and trust matters to a wide range of high net worth individuals, covering existing vacancies
and maternity leave for head of department.
January 2005 to August 2007: Adams Solicitors
Adams is a medium size firm of solicitors with offices in Whitechapel and Canary Wharf. I joined
Adams as a Trust and Probate Specialist with the task of setting up and training staff to form a
private client department.

3. 1995 to 2005: Self-employed Probate Practitioner (T/A Probate & Trust)
Please see above.
August 1990 to March 1995 General Manager
I was involved in a business partnership as the General Manager of a garage repairing and
servicing classic cars. I had responsibility for all financial and administrative matters, including
preparation of company accounts, tax returns and invoices; organisation of advertising and
general office procedures; implementation of insurance policies and service contracts and liaison
with Insurance Company Claims Adjusters.
September 1988 to July 1990: FARRER & CO SOLICITORS
Position: Accounts Manager - Trust Administrator
• Preparing and auditing a high volume of computer based and manual accounts, worth in
excess of £35 million, including calculating all liabilities, taxes and income and capital
distributions.
• Preparation of all trust and estate tax returns and Inland Revenue accounts.
• Dealing, in writing and verbally, with professional bodies (e.g. Stockbrokers, Surveyors,
Inland Revenue, Solicitors, etc).
• Liasing with Trustees, preparing all documents, transfers, legal forms, letters, cheques, etc.
• Attending meetings and client interviews.
• Involvement in the setting up of a computerised office trust accounting system, working
closely with Systems Analyst.
• Clients were high net worth estates.
November 1975 to August 1988: PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE
Department: Accounts Department
I started work in the Accounts Department as a Clerical Officer. I was promoted to Executive
Officer Accountant - Trust Administration and on many occasions substituted for the Higher
Executive Officer.
• Preparing and auditing in excess of 140 Executorships, Will Trusts, Settlements and
Charitable Trusts of varying complexity.
• Assessing liabilities, calculating distributions and knowledge of all tax matters relating
thereto.
• Day-to-day recording of cash and investment invoices and assessing statutory fees.
• Providing detailed information to enquiries.
• Continuous review of cases.
• Periodical statistical returns.
• Management, training and supervision of 6 Officers including preparing annual reports and
job appraisals.
EDUCATION:
SPENCER PARK SCHOOL, WANDSWORTH
1973 5 ‘O’ Levels: Principles of Accounting – A; Commerce – A; Economics – B;
Economic History – A; Geography - A
1975 3 ‘A Levels: Accounts – A; Economics – B; History - A
INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
1995 Book-keeping Diploma - A Distinction

4. INTERESTS:
Computing, Game fishing, Cars, Sport in general, D.I.Y., Cinema and Music.