Partner, Wills, Trusts & Estate Disputes
My contact details
Department
My awards and achievements
John initially trained as a teacher and taught law to students at A-level and degree before he qualified as a solicitor in 2000. John joined Forbes Solicitors in December 2020 as a Senior Associate and now co-leads the firm’s Contentious Trusts and Probate (CTP) team alongside Tom Howcroft. Qualifying in 2000, he brings more than 25 years’ litigation experience, with over a decade spent in high-value contentious trusts and probate work. He completed the ACTAPS qualification in 2019.
John spent 15 years at DWF in Manchester, managing a broad caseload of complex commercial litigation and contentious probate disputes, followed by five years leading a team within DWF’s commercial insurance division, handling significant property damage matters for major insurers. He later headed the dispute resolution team at Hillyer McKeown and subsequently specialised exclusively in contentious trusts and probate at Myersons and Simpson Millar before joining Forbes.
His practice encompasses the full spectrum of high-value probate litigation, including:
Proprietary estoppel
Statutory wills and contested deputyship applications
Deathbed gift disputes
Complex validity challenges
Claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
Estate and trust disputes involving high-net-worth individuals and substantial asset bases
The cases accompanying this submission illustrate his involvement in some of the department’s most complex and strategically demanding matters.
John is ranked in The Legal 500 as both a Recommended Lawyer and Next Generation Partner, attracting strong testimonials for his technical expertise, strategic insight and client-handling skills.
Clients consistently praise John for his accessibility, clarity of communication and ability to manage complex disputes to conclusion with minimal stress. His service commitment includes:
Fast, proactive communication
Clear advice grounded in experience
Strong momentum on cases
Flexible pricing options, including regular use of no-win-no-fee arrangements
John is a highly respected specialist in contentious trusts and probate, known for his technical proficiency, strong litigation instincts, and leadership impact. His strategic overhaul of the team’s commercial model, combined with strong financial delivery and a growing national profile, makes him an outstanding candidate for Chambers & Partners recognition. Alongside Tom Howcroft, he has played a key role in shaping the department into a high-performing, specialist practice equipped for further growth and increased market prominence.
John Lambe loves to roll up his sleeves and start fighting against even the most entrenched opponents. He scopes a case and leaves no stone unturned from the earliest possible opportunity. He is always great at providing clients with a clear overview and direction in what is often complex and uncertain litigation. Clients know he is fighting their corner.
Legal 500
John Lambe was working on my property litigation case for just over three years. Mr Lambe was absolutely brilliant, he was extremely knowledgeable and very thorough. Mr Lambe was always patient and constantly reassuring, during those difficult three years. I would highly recommend Mr Lambe, he is an amazing solicitor.
Nella
I found Lucy and John to both be knowledgeable and friendly. They provided clear advice in simple language and guided decisions instead of dictating outcomes. Everyone at the firm has dealt with the case with great sensitivity and I would highly recommend them.
Gary
John Lambe is an excellent lawyer in his field with a commitment to his clients. He has a valuable blend of technical excellence and an approachable style which means he can get results whilst remaining empathetic to his clients.
Legal 500
Contacted John lamb after having a caveat lodged against probate right from the start he was clear in his explanations professional in his actions and bluntly honest and accurate in his opinions came reccomend him and his team enough.
John Knight
John Lambe has an excellent grasp of property based issues in probate and trust context. Procedurally and tactically very clever, he is always able to distinguish the wood from the trees in what often prove factually heavy and legally challenging cases.
Legal 500
John Lamb and colleagues at Forbes Solicitors, are highly experienced, and I intend on using them again, in the not to distant future. I highly recommend Forbes Solicitors to all those who are interested in a highly professional legal service.
Mr Yousuf
John Lambe successfully and professionally guided us through our probate dispute. From the first phone call he listened to our concerns and was kind, understanding and made us feel at ease. His advice was at all times honest, realistic and clear and we were impressed with how he could explain the legal terms and ensure that we understood the options available. He was always fair and had our interests at heart keeping the costs to a minimum. Ultimately, his profound knowledge, experience and eloquence helped us to achieve the desired positive outcome we were striving for. We highly recommend John. He is a brilliant and dedicated solicitor who genuinely cares for his clients.
Carol
They took on our case and kept us updated on going. Giving us clear advice on updates and progress in a very professional manner. Contacted us and used video calling to discuss certain issues
Overall a very professional approach would highly recommend.Geraldine
Due to a difficult matter involving the distribution of an estate by chance we came upon an expert in the field in the form of John Lambe. His clear advice and decisive actions in an assertive 'can do' manner, saved the estate tens of thousands of pounds. Cannot praise the calibre of this lawyer enough. Thank you so much!
Anonymous
John Lambe was beyond Excellent.
I would thoroughly recommend his services. Considering we had a very complexed and emotional situation
John was very professional and thoughtful.
I Could not recommend highly enough John Lambe , Forbes Solicitors and all involved in the Company.
Kate
We have found John and Constance to be both professional and helpful. They have both been very supportive in a very difficult time I would definitely recommend them both.
Kieron
We have found John and Constance to be both professional and helpful. They have both been very supportive in a very difficult time I would definitely recommend them both.
Anonymous
Myself and siblings cannot fault the work that John Lambe and Constance Yates put in for us. They were very thorough and went through all options with us and were very approachable if we had any queries. We would highly recommend John and Constance.
Margaret