Four charities are taking legal action against a will and probate company after an alleged mistake resulted in them missing out on a bequest worth almost £1m. 

Médecins Sans Frontières, Dogs Trust, the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and the RNLI have filed a breach of professional liability claim against the south-London based Legal Love Letters, a firm which is officially registered as the Will & Probate Company.

The charities were set to benefit from the bulk of a legacy donation from Rosemary Hill, a retired doctor who died in 2018, as reported by The Times newspaper. 

One charity told Third Sector that the donation was worth between £800,000 and £900,000.

Legal Love Letters was founded and is owned by Cherl Penry, who The Times reported was a friend of Hill’s and prepared her will in 2018.

The agreement was to leave £51,000 to Hill’s friends and godchildren, with the remaining sum going to the four charities filing the claim.

Médecins Sans Frontières was allocated half of the amount, the RNLI was to receive a quarter, and Dogs Trust was to receive 20 per cent, with the rest going to the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

But the will was not signed off correctly, the newspaper said, rendering it invalid. 

A previous will from 2014, which did not include any money for the charities, was used instead. 

Médecins Sans Frontières, the RNLI, the Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs and Cats home all told Third Sector they would not comment on an ongoing case.

Third Sector has contacted Legal Love Letters for comment.

Wilson Solicitors, which is representing the charities, has also been contacted for comment.