Paul Levy is a Partner in the Private Wealth team at Druces LLP, specialising in both contentious and non-contentious trusts, tax and estate matters for UK and international families, entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals.
Paul’s distinctive strength lies in bridging advisory and contentious work. His extensive experience in trusts and probate disputes provides acute insight into the structural and evidential weaknesses that can transform well-intentioned estate planning into costly litigation. He applies this litigation-informed perspective to draft Wills, structure trusts and implement tax strategies that are robust, commercially pragmatic and designed to minimise the risk of future challenge.
Contentious Trusts & Probate
Paul advises on a broad range of complex disputes, including:
- Undue influence and mental capacity claims
- Validity of Wills
- Proprietary estoppel and constructive trust claims
- Removal of executors and applications to compel estate accounts
- Court of Protection matters, including:
- Removal of attorneys
- Statutory Will applications
- Authorisation of lifetime gifts for incapacitated individuals
He also acts as an independent administrator on a number of estates, providing neutrality and technical oversight where disputes or sensitivities arise.
Non-Contentious Estate Planning & Tax
Paul’s contentious expertise directly informs his advisory practice, where he handles:
- Complex Wills and succession planning
- Trust structuring and administration
- Inheritance tax mitigation strategies
- Asset protection planning
- Structuring for vulnerable beneficiaries
He has particular expertise in establishing trusts to hold assets qualifying for Business Property Relief (BPR), enabling trading company shares or business interests to pass into trust in a tax-efficient manner while allowing the settlor to retain meaningful control over voting rights, dividend policy and trust governance.
Reported Cases
Paul’s reported experience includes:
- Eade v Hogg [2021] EWHC 1057 (Ch) – Representing the widow in a Will construction and rectification claim.
- F v R [2022] EWCOP 49 – Acting for the Applicant deputy in a Court of Protection best interests decision concerning the settlement of an inheritance into a Disabled Person’s Trust to preserve means-tested benefits.
Professional Memberships
- Member, STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners)
- Student Member, ACTAPS (Association of Contentious Trusts and Probate Specialists)
Client testimonials
“[Paul Levy]…demonstrated an extremely wide knowledge showing a quite exceptional understanding of his field of law. He also possesses the ability to deliver his advice in a most sensible practical and understandable manner. In particular…he is able to deal with issues in a most compassionate way always putting the client at ease even when discussing extremely difficult, sensitive and personal matters. His attention to detail is first class and is able to process a large volume of information quickly and formulate an effective strategy…Over the years, I have had no hesitation in recommending him to friends, family and former professional colleagues…”
Legal 500
Paul Levy was named as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ by Legal 500.
- “I have worked with Paul [Levy] for a number of years and have always found him to be highly proactive and resourceful with our mutual clients. Paul has a calm and engaging approach…and is able to outline complex ideas in a friendly and accessible manner… Paul has a strong international dimension to his work, comfortable in addressing the concerns of both UK resident and non-resident individuals.”
- ‘Paul Levy is a young partner carving out an impressive reputation in this area: he has excellent instincts, detailed legal knowledge, and a strategic mindset.’
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