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The traditional approach to disputes has been to resort to litigation rather than using the less contentious methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

At the heart of a trust, which creates binding equitable obligations on the trustees enforceable by the beneficiaries, is essentially a personal relationship. In the case of a dispute that personal relationship might be exposed to attack for a variety of reasons, such as lack of validity of the trust or improper administration of the trust by the trustees.

Disputes between trustees and beneficiaries can be traumatic and generally cast a pall over any future meaningful relationship. Clearly there are cases where litigation is the only solution but the courts generally expect the parties to try to resolve the dispute by alternative means.

In contentious estates matters, as in many trust disputes, there is usually a personal relationship between the parties and psychological factors, such as the affect of the grieving process on decision making.

The civil procedure rules 1998 (CPR) and their Practice Directions provide a framework to guide the parties