‘Deathbed gifts’ are one of the limited exceptions to the general principle that on death, the property of the deceased should be disposed of according to either a written will, or the rules on intestacy. The courts have long recognised that the concept of the ‘deathbed gift’ is open to abuse. The case of Kenneth Paul King v The Chiltern Dog Rescue, Redwings Horse Sanctuary illustrates the strict approach that […]
As specialists handling will dispute and contentious probate claims, we have a lot of experience of dealing with the mistakes that were made when a will was drawn up. One of the grounds for challenging the validity of a will is that it was not properly executed – and if this is the case, and the will is overturned, people who were genuinely intended to benefit from a will may […]
If you’re considering legal action to contest a will, the chances are you will be trying to work out which firm of solicitors to use to represent you. And no doubt, one of the big questions you want answered is how easy is it to contest a will – and win? It’s a worthwhile question to ask. Legal action of any kind can be stressful and exhausting; it can also […]
We’ve been handling will disputes for many years, and have found that there are a number of common themes which raise suspicions that all is not as it should be with the will concerned. Challenging a will is a big decision to take, especially in the sad circumstances where a loved one has died. You may also be unsure if you are right to be taking this step – you […]
The High Court has recently considered a claim under the Inheritance Act 1975 in circumstances where the will left everything to the Testator’s wife, from whom he had been separated for many years, and nothing to his long term partner. We look at Martin v Williams [2017] EHWC 491 (Ch) . The Facts At the time of his death in 2012, Mr Martin had been separated from his wife, Maureen Martin, […]
We look at ‘the golden rule’ in relation to will disputes – what it is, and why it is important If you are worried that a close relative was unwell when they made their will, and did not really know or understand what they were doing, you may be considering challenging the will on the grounds of ‘testamentary capacity’. If this is the case, you will need to take a […]
It’s not often that legal disputes over the contents of a will make the front pages – but a long running saga that has recently been concluded in the Supreme Court relating to gifts made to charity in a will at the expense of surviving children, has done just that. Challenging a will under the Inheritance Act 1975 As we’ve mentioned before, under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) […]
Once you’ve engaged a solicitor to represent you in a will dispute, you may be surprised when he or she recommends using a barrister. It won’t always be necessary to use a barrister, but there are plenty of situations that arise when challenging a will (or defending a challenge to a will), when a barrister will provide vital advice both on legal matters and on strategy. In this blog we […]
The legal system can be confusing if you haven’t had any experience of it before you needed to challenge a will. Here we look at the people who will be involved and the roles they play in your will dispute. If you find yourself in the position where you feel you must take steps to challenge a will -either because you think the will is invalid, or because you feel […]
A recent case looks at the relationship between alcoholism and testamentary capacity, and illustrates the reluctance of the Courts to overturn a will based on undue influence – particularly if an experienced solicitor has been involved in drawing up the will. As is often the case when the validity of a will is being challenged, the claim will be made up of a number of elements. In the recent case […]
Many people hold a view of a legal dispute that includes a court room drama worthy of a John Grisham novel, but the reality is very different, and this applies as much in the context of a will dispute as to any other legal claim (criminal matters aside). Mediation now plays a big part in resolving will disputes – it’s a process of dispute resolution that you may not have […]
In a series of blogs in which we look at mediation and the role it plays in resolving a will dispute and other contentious probate matters, here we consider the benefits of mediation. What is mediation? Mediation is a form of dispute resolution which involves negotiation between the parties, managed by an independent mediator. Mediation will take place on a particular day, and in a specified location. The person bringing […]
Challenging a will can take two different forms – either a challenge to the validity of the will itself, or a claim for ‘reasonable financial provision’ under the Inheritance Act (essentially a claim that you should have been left more by the person who has died). You may not know yourself when you contact a solicitor which type of claim you will be bringing. However, although there will be differences, […]
A recent case has highlighted the importance of making sure that a Testator knows that they are executing a will, and understands and approves the contents of that will One of the bases for challenging a will is that the person who made the will did not have knowledge and approval of the contents of the will. In the recent case of Poole v Everall the courts had to determine this […]
You may well have read stories in the press about high profile will disputes and the legal costs that are involved. While it’s true that bringing a challenge to a will is unlikely to come cheap, there are a number of options open to you which means you don’t have to find the money up front, and will only have to pay costs if you succeed in your claim. In […]
In the emotionally charged period following the death of a loved one, you may become aware of circumstances that make you concerned about the contents of their will – but what can you do? In our blog we look at some of the practical steps you can take, including entering a caveat on the Probate Registry. Moving quickly is vital You may have concerns about the way a will was […]
In our last blog (at least for now) about undue influence, we look at undue influence and fraudulent calumny We’ve covered the issue of ‘undue influence’ in a couple of recent blogs, looking at the principles of undue influence as set out in the case of Edwards v Edwards, and then looking at undue influence in practice, looking at some cases where undue influence was – and where it wasn’t […]
Considering the question of ‘undue influence’ in more detail As we recently explained, proving undue influence when challenging a will can be difficult – but it’s not impossible. In this blog we look at some examples of circumstances where the courts have determined that undue influence was present – and also some examples of where it wasn’t. Undue Influence – the principles In our earlier blog about undue influence, we […]
If you suspect that someone has made a will in suspicious circumstances, is there anything you can do before that person dies? The papers have recently reported a number of situations where high profile individuals: Bill Gates, Nigella Lawson and the like – have declared their intention to leave the majority of their fortunes to charity rather than their children. In these cases it seems unlikely that there is anything […]
One of the ways you can challenge the validity of a will is by showing that the testator was subject to ‘undue influence’ – but this is not always easy Someone you were close to has died. Whatever the circumstances, this is always going to be a highly emotional and distressing time, with lots to reflect on and organise. When you are also concerned that the will made by the […]