A new fixed-fee, executor-only probate model aims to help private client teams break estate deadlocks and caveat standstills without the need to resort to contentious litigation.
The model has been launched by Human Law, an SRA‑regulated practice led by solicitor Justin Patten. The “executor‑only probate dispute stabilisation model” combines AI‑assisted document ingestion with structured statutory steps under the Non‑Contentious Probate Rules (NCPR) 1987 and the Administration of Estates Act 1925.
Rather than escalating matters into High Court or County Court proceedings, Human Law uses targeted statutory mechanisms – including NCPR Rule 44 caveat warnings, Rule 41/42 citations, and Section 25 AEA inventory and account demands – to “restore procedural momentum and re‑establish progress on stalled estates”.
Patten explained: “Most probate friction is procedural rather than genuinely contentious. By structuring the chronology early and applying the correct statutory levers, private client teams can avoid unnecessary litigation and regain control of the file.
“Every step remains solicitor‑led, but technology allows us to reach clarity far faster.”
According to Human Law, the majority of caveats fall away once a formal warning is served with only a small minority progressing to contested registrar directions – a pattern the firm points out is consistent with Registry behaviour.
The practice operates under a strict non‑compete guarantee, declining routine probate administration, will drafting, conveyancing and litigation. Once the standstill is neutralised, the file is returned intact to the referring private client team.
Patten added: “Private client departments often lose administration files to contentious teams simply because there is no structured off‑ramp.
“Our role is narrow and surgical: resolve the procedural block, stabilise the matter, and hand the file straight back.”
Fixed fees for the model, starting at £400, aim to give executors and referring firms early cost certainty.
The statutory framework underpinning the model will be explored in a forthcoming book by Patten, The Out‑of‑Court Executor, which is due for publication in October 2026.
