A TOWN centre law firm has won a legal battle worth tens of thousands of pounds.

FDR Law, which is based on Palmyra Square, secured the High Court victory on behalf of a son who was fighting the right to administer his late father’s estate from a solicitor.

The court in Liverpool has ruled in favour of Mark Holding against Susan Lebreton-Towell, who drew up the claimant’s dad Norman’s will in December 2019 and had them both appointed as executors.

After Norman – of Kelsall in Cheshire – died in September 2020, Mr Holding wanted to deal with the administration of his dad’s estate himself without the involvement of Ms Lebreton-Towell.

He expressed concerns that the lawyer, who was then working for LT Law, was ‘failing to progress the administration of the estate’ and asked her to renounce her entitlement to a grant.

But she refused to do so, leading to legal proceedings.

The case was brought before the court in July and a written judgement has now been handed down.

Judge James Hassall concluded that Ms Lebreton-Towell ‘became obsessed and entrenched’ by the issue and ‘did not fully and transparently deal with costs and information requests’.

She was also ordered to pay legal costs of nearly £30,000.

Mr Holding, from London, said after the hearing: “I am delighted with the verdict of the court.

“This ends 10 months of stress caused by the defendant’s deeply upsetting involvement in my father’s estate.

“My legal team, solicitor Stephen Lawson and barrister Sarah Harrison, demonstrated a fine grasp of the complex issues in this case”.

Mr Lawson, contentious probate specialist at FDR, added: “Mark has achieved the outcome he deserves.

“It is tragic that Ms Lebreton-Towell did not take the numerous opportunities that were given to her to step down from the administration of the estate.

“Why she should have sought to cling on to her appointment despite the evidence pointing to her removal is regrettable.”