Charlotte Fraser
Partner
Charlotte is a highly regarded litigator who manages Farrer & Co’s Contentious Trusts and Estates team, advising executors, trustees, beneficiaries and settlors on a wide range of contentious matters, both onshore and offshore. Charlotte is known for her strategic insight, technical ability, and her calm authority in complex and often fraught disputes.
Charlotte’s practice spans the full spectrum of trust and estate disputes, often involving complex cross-border elements and high-value business and personal assets. She is particularly adept at navigating sensitive family dynamics, whether advising on the administration of contentious estates, disputes over the validity of wills or Lasting Powers of Attorney, or claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Her work frequently involves allegations of breach of trust, fraud, and contested trustee decisions, and she is known for her strategic handling of jurisdictional issues and emergency relief. Charlotte’s clients include trustees, beneficiaries, protectors and family offices, who rely on her for her clarity of advice, and her ability to resolve disputes with discretion and precision.
Charlotte regularly acts in proceedings before the English courts and has experience coordinating litigation and settlement strategies and mediations across multiple jurisdictions, including the Channel Islands and the Caribbean. She also has significant experience of independent administrations, particularly in situations where relationships between executors or beneficiaries have broken down or where neutrality and objectivity are essential to restoring trust and progress.
In addition to her contentious work, Charlotte regularly stress tests trust structures, helping clients to identify and mitigate potential areas of risk before disputes arise. She plays a key role in advising families on the transfer of wealth to the next generation and the legal and relational complexities that can arise, particularly where there are concerns around fairness, capacity, or long-term stewardship. She works closely with the firm’s Private Client team to provide a joined-up approach to succession planning, ensuring that structures are not only technically sound but also resilient to challenge. This collaborative approach is particularly valued by clients with complex family arrangements or international assets, where proactive stress testing can be key to preserving wealth across generations. Her ability to combine legal rigour with an empathetic approach makes her a trusted adviser in these often-sensitive transitions.
