Marriage, Wills & Probate
Wills that hold, contested estate administration, and probate handled with the discretion these matters require.
What a person builds in a lifetime deserves legal protection that outlasts them. A will that is properly drafted, witnessed, and legally sound protects your wishes and protects the people who depend on you. A will that is defective, ambiguous, or missing becomes the foundation for years of family conflict and expensive litigation.
The firm drafts wills, administers estates, handles contested probate proceedings, and advises on all aspects of marriage under Nigerian law — statutory marriage, customary marriage recognition, and separation and dissolution. These matters require both legal precision and the discretion that sensitive family and personal circumstances demand.
When an estate is disputed — whether because the will is being challenged, because an executor is mismanaging assets, or because beneficiaries cannot agree — the litigation requires the same preparation discipline as any other court matter. The firm handles both the advisory and the contested dimensions of estate work.
Contested probate proceedings and estate disputes regularly reach the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court in Nigeria. Having SAN-level representation means the matter is prepared for all eventualities from the outset. For high-value estates and complex multi-party disputes, that appellate capacity is not a luxury — it is a requirement.
Services Within This Practice Area
Will Drafting
Legally sound wills: testamentary capacity, proper witnessing, specific asset treatment, digital assets, and business succession integration.
Estate Administration
Letters of administration, executor's obligations, asset inventory, creditor notifications, and distribution in compliance with Nigerian law.
Contested Probate
Challenge to wills: lack of capacity, undue influence, fraud, forgery. Court proceedings to set aside a will or compel proper administration.
Beneficiary Disputes
Disputes between beneficiaries, claims against executors for breach of fiduciary duty, and court applications to protect estate assets.
Marriage Under Nigerian Law
Court (statutory) marriage under the Marriage Act, customary marriage advisory, judicial separation, and dissolution of marriage proceedings.
Business Succession
Coordinating personal estate planning with business ownership structures: shareholder agreements, buy-sell arrangements, and succession plans.
Selected Outcomes
All matters anonymised in accordance with professional confidentiality obligations.
State High Court
Contested will — capacity challenge
Will upheld as valid. Challenger's claim dismissed. Estate administration proceeded correctly.
State High Court
Intestate estate — disputed beneficiaries
Estate administered correctly under ISWA. Assets distributed to lawful beneficiaries. Rival claimants dismissed.
State High Court
Executor misconduct — removal application
Executor removed for breach of fiduciary duty. New administrator appointed. Estate assets secured.
Related Practice Areas