Adam is the head of the national Disputed Wills & Trusts team, specialising in all types of will, trust and succession disputes and professional negligence claims.
With over 20 years experience as a partner in Irwin Mitchell, Shoosmiths and now Rothley Law, Adam has advised on a wide range of work in his area. His skills range from acting on Inheritance Act claims and disputed wills, to claims against executors and trustees, and proprietary estoppel. Adam also works to resolve contentious Court of Protection disputes. This includes disputed statutory Wills and disputes involving attorneys and deputies.
A valued member of the wider legal community, Adam is a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) . He also provides legal updates for Lexis Nexis.
Client feedback
“Adam Draper is a genuinely warm and kind person who gets on well with clients.”
“Adam is an excellent litigator and leads the team with a commerciality rarely seen in a law firm.”
“When you need a specialist practitioner, you need to ensure that you have a good one and I was fortunate to have one of the very best.”
“Mr Adam Draper was meticulous in his research and preparation of documents, he was personable, supportive and highly professional in his approach to the case in hand. He gave clear advice and guidance, exuding confidence in his directions and is a person to be relied upon, with the highest integrity.”
“I was impressed from start to finish and I was very glad that he was on my side. He also went the extra mile in terms of communication. Rothley Law therefore are very fortunate to have his expertise and experience and I highly recommend them.”
Professional highlights:
- I acted for the successful Claimant in establishing that caveats should not be used in Inheritance Act claims Re Parnall [2003] WTLR 997.
- I acted for family members and numerous charities in overturning a Will benefiting the deceased’s housekeeper (the court found that the deceased did not have capacity to execute the Will). Abbott v Richardson [2006] WTLR 1567.
- I acted in the successful claim for construction and rectification of a Will following a drafting error by the solicitor. Slattery v Jagger [2015] EWHC 3976.
- I acted in the exhumation of ashes incorrectly interred in the wrong burial plot. Re Welton Road Cemetery [2017]
- I acted for the successful co-habit claimant in a claim for reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants ) Act 1975 – Bullock v Denton [2020].Lexis Citation 191.
- I defended a will validity challenge in a 4 day trial in High Court Leeds before HH Judge Kelly in 2025 Gardiner v Taylor.
- I defended a will validity claim on the grounds of knowledge and approval and laches – Stephenson v Daley [2026] EWHC 62 (Ch)