Ashley Blood-Halvorsen

Ashley Blood-Halvorsen (TEP) specialises in property and chancery disputes with particular emphasis in contentious probate, TOLATA and insolvency.

Probate and Estates

Ashley Blood-Halvorsen (TEP) has a strong understanding of - and caseload in - all aspects of contentious probate and estates

work, advising and representing individuals. Before qualifying as a barrister, she spent some time working for a firm tracing

beneficiaries to estates.

She acts for clients in respect of a range of estates, from those of a modest value through to those involving substantial sums

and including estates with an international aspect. Her practice covers all areas regarding the validity of wills and

testamentary dispositions, both as regards the necessary formalities and in respect of the substantive validity, and she also

advises on the interpretation and construction of wills and other instruments.

Ashley has undertaken many Inheritance Act cases and has a firm understanding and extensive experience of TOLATA

claims. She is a full member of STEP, and earlier earned a merit in her Taxation of Trusts and Estates exam.

Coownership and Trusts of Land

Ashley regularly advises on and appears in Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (TOLATA) claims. She has

experience of occupation rent claims and where there has been a failure to pay the mortgage by one party. She also has

experience of where on party alleges that they were engaged so to rely on the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970

this can involve issues around non-qualifying ceremonies.

She acts for parties in mediation and alternative dispute resolution.

Land and Boundaries

Ashley acts for businesses and individuals in respects of, right of access, rights of way, and boundary disputes. Recent work

includes:

Interference with a right of way involving cross-examination of a claimant who accepted that the alleged interference was

not substantial.

Advising a charity regarding interference with an easement and derogation from grant.

Drafting statement of cases for boundary disputes and advising on Part 36 offers.

Interpreting rights of way within title deeds and TR1s.

Advising regarding an easement for the supply of where the servient tenement freeholder threatened to interrupt the

supply for which an injunction was obtained.

Advising regarding a ‘property hijack’ fraud and the right to an indemnity under the Land Registration indemnity scheme.

She also acts in matters regarding conveyancing disputes including third party claims of overreaching rights. She has a

particular interest in easements including the construction thereof.

Residential Landlord and Tenant and Housing

Ashley acts on behalf of landlords and tenants in respect of the following areas:

Possessions by personal representatives in the context of a death estate.

Defending counterclaims arising out of disrepair claims.

Appearing in injunction hearings to permit a gas safety inspection.

Defending deposit protection claims pursuant to the Housing Act 2004 including where there are multiple tenants and

successive tenancies.

Matters which involve subletting of properties and which engage section 18 of the Housing Act 1988.

Advising landlords in respect of HMOs and the mandatory licensing regime including Rent Repayment Orders.

Ashley also regularly appears in mortgage possession hearings on behalf of the lender.

She has experience in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for breach of covenant proceedings and service charge

disputes including the interpretation of long leases.