For those considering who to leave their estate to after they die, a tricky dilemma can often arise when considering the question of their own children. For various reasons, a testator may not consider it appropriate to leave anything to their child...
In the recent case of Ugolor & Ors v Ugolor [2021] EWHC 686 (Ch), the Defendant was removed from his position as executor of his mother’s estate following an application made by the Defendant’s three siblings (the Claimants). In the...
Labour MP for Leeds North East, Fabian Hamilton, has called on the Prime Minister and his government to reform the law in relation to so-called ‘predatory marriages’. Speaking in the House of Commons during Prime Minister’s...
In the recent case of Re R (Deceased) [2021] EWHC 936 (Ch), the High Court granted the award of £186,000 to two children left out of their father’s will. The two children, who were both under the age of 18 at the time of the claim...
The case of Miles & Anor v Shearer [2021] EWHC 1000 (Ch ) concerned a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 brought by the two adult daughters of top banker and former head of merchant bank Singer...
As the country continues to ease out of the third lockdown, it seems a good opportunity to reflect on one of the most significant legal changes, in the Private Client world at least, that occurred during the pandemic – the remote witnessing of...
In the recent case of Clitheroe v Bond [2021] EWHC 1102 (Ch), the landmark test established in Banks v Goodfellow [1870] for assessing testamentary capacity has been upheld by the High Court. The facts of the case concerned Jean...
The issue of caveats arises frequently in will disputes and contentious probate cases. A caveat is a formal notice which is lodged at the probate registry which stops a grant of probate or a grant of letters of administration being extracted. The lodging...
The nation is in a state of mourning after the death of the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, aged 99. When a person dies, one of the most important questions is who will inherit that person’s property. Whilst Prince Philip...
In the recent case of Mundil-Williams v Williams and others [2021] EWHC 586 (Ch) , the High Court considered the last valid will of Mr John Williams, who died in 2017 at the age of 91. He had four sons, first Timothy, who was the claimant in...
If you have been left out of a will, the operation of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, “the Act”, allows certain categories of people to apply for financial provision from the estate following the testator’s...
Mr William Tibbles, a former car dealer, passed away at the age of 75 in February 2018. Mr Tibbles had five children, comprising of his four daughters Terri and Kelly (who were twins), Susan and Cindy, and a son, Paul. The first will, drafted by solicitors...
With cases on the rise, today’s blog explores the issue of dementia in relation to making a will. One million people in the UK are expected to have dementia by 2025, increasing to two million by 2050, according to recent research produced by...
COVID-19 and insurance: can you recover your lockdown losses from your insurer? On 15 January 2021, the Supreme Court handed down a high profile judgment which is likely to result in a significant number of insurance pay outs for small businesses. The...
The decision of who to leave your estate to after you die is arguably the most personal aspect of writing a will. Sometimes, perhaps because of relationship breakdown, you may wish to exclude immediate family from inheriting under your will. Alternatively,...
The recent case of Knipe v British Racing Drivers’ Motor Sport Charity and others [2020] EWHC 3295 (Ch) concerned the will of former British racing driver, Barrie Russell Williams. Mr Williams, a respected figure on the British racing circuit and...
As a starting point, a testator has testamentary freedom to choose who they want their Estate to go to, under English law. It demonstrates the testator’s wishes. An exception to this is where a will is found to be invalid. This can happen for many...
What is a probate caveat? A caveat is a formal notice that is filed with the Probate Registry. It is used to prevent a grant of probate being obtained and can often indicate the start of a will dispute claim. This means that the estate cannot be...
Inheritance disputes often stem from Wills being challenged for multiple reasons. For example, a testator might have been unduly influenced into making a Will in the way they have, or the testator lacked the necessary mental capacity to make it. The case...
Under the rules of intestacy, which apply where someone dies without making a Will, a married partner will automatically receive the residuary estate of their spouse on death. Unmarried couples do not have this same level of legal protection, and parents,...
