Angela Bowman

Angela Bowman is a partner in our Dispute Resolution team and advises clients from our Reading, Henley-on-Thames and Wokingham offices, as well as remotely.

With over 20 years' experience in dealing with the full range of disputed Wills, probate and Trusts claims, on behalf of private individuals and charities, she advises on disputes including challenges to Wills based upon lack of testamentary capacity, want of knowledge and approval and undue influence; applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975; proprietary estoppel claims; construction proceedings and rectification applications; and actions to remove executors and trustees.

Angela is a full member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) and was named ‘Contentious Solicitor of the Year’ in the inaugural ACTAPS awards in 2013. She was also shortlisted in the first year of the Women in Law Awards in 2020, in the categories of ‘Litigator of the Year’ and ‘Legal Adviser of the Year’. 

Angela is recommended in Chambers UK Guide and Chambers HNW Guide and is named as a 'leading partner' in The Legal 500.

Angela joined Blandy & Blandy from a top tier national law firm at which she was a partner and joint national head of Charities and head of the Southern Probate Litigation teams. Prior to that, she spent 20 years at a leading regional law firm, where she was a partner and head of the Charity Probate Litigation team.

Examples of recent work

• Acting for the three charitable residuary beneficiaries of a large estate, in connection with a sensitive case involving proprietary estoppel and Inheritance Act claims pursued by a friend of the deceased.
• Advising two clients in connection with a challenge to the validity of the deceased's last will, in circumstances where there were doubts (i) that the deceased had the requisite testamentary capacity at the time of making the will; and (ii) that she knew and approved the contents of it. Also advising them in connection with a negligence claim against the solicitors who prepared the will, owing to their failure (i) to follow the 'golden rule' and (ii) to adhere to the professional standards required of them, in taking instructions for the will and arranging for it to be executed.
• Advising four clients in connection with a potential breach of trust claim against the executors of the deceased's estate, pursuant to the deceased's property having been sold for substantially below its market value. Resolving the matter by way of a settlement with the insurers of the agents responsible for advising the executors upon the sale of the property.
• Acting for seven national charities named as residuary beneficiaries of the deceased's estate, in connection with the deceased's godson's challenge to the validity of the deceased's last and penultimate wills. The claim was pursued on the ground of lack of capacity, owing to paranoid delusions from which the deceased was stated to have been suffering during the requisite periods. An amicable settlement was reached with the claimant, whereby the deceased's last will, under which the charities benefitted, was upheld.