Will claim Solicitors, specialist no win no fee will dispute and will contest Solicitors, consider the new case of Antonio v Williams Antonio v Williams – a further claim for financial provision under section 2 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 The case of Antonio v Williams [2022] EWHC 2383 (Ch) is a claim by the brother of the deceased for financial provision based on the […]
Challenging a will can be complicated when it is unclear what the testator’s intentions were by the wording of clauses in their will. This is a particularly difficult issue for wills compared with other legal documents for the obvious reason that the person whose intentions are under question has passed away by the time of the will dispute. The recent case of Tish and Others v Olley & Ors [2018] […]
Understanding Inheritance Act claims Challenging a will through using the mechanism of Inheritance Act claims allows claimants to apply to court for reasonable financial provision from a deceased person’s estate, without questioning the validity of the testator’s will. Section 1 of the Act outlines the list of potential Inheritance Act claimants, i.e dependants. People who can potentially claim under the act are: Spouses and civil partners; Former spouses or civil […]
Challenging a will is potentially expensive, especially through the court system. If the judge rules in your favour, then in addition to any money from the estate, the judge might order the defendant to pay your legal costs. However, if the judge rules against you, as well as having to pay your own costs, you might be ordered to pay the costs of the other side. Will disputes can be […]
One of the ways to challenge a will is to make a case that the Testator, the person who made the will, did not have testamentary capacity. This is not always straightforward. In this blog, we look at 5 things to be aware of if you are considering a will dispute claim on this basis. Testamentary capacity or undue influence? In order to be valid, a will must be made […]
What is Undue Influence? Undue influence is a ground upon which to challenge a will, calling into question the validity of the will itself. Claims for undue influence are made when someone suspects that the testator (the person who made the will) was under the influence of another person at the time the will was made. If a court finds that the will was made, either under coercion, or in […]
One ground for a will dispute is undue influence: when someone has been pressured or coerced into signing a will or other contract that affects their estate. The case of Brindley v Brindley [2018] EWHC 157 (Ch), provides an example of an undue influence claim which failed because the testator, the mother of the claimant, had sought independent legal advice before making the transfer. The Facts of Brindley v Brindley […]
You may be concerned about a will and be worried that it doesn’t reflect the real intentions of the person who made it, or feel that you should have received a greater share of the estate. Challenging a will can be a daunting process, especially if you have no experience of the legal system and how the courts work. In this blog, we explain the role of the courts in […]
If you’re worried about the contents of a will and believe the person who made it was showing signs of dementia or mental vulnerability, it is well worth checking whether the solicitor who made the will followed the Golden Rule. What is the Golden Rule? The Golden Rule is an obligation for the solicitor preparing a will to ensure that the testator has sufficient mental capacity when the will is […]
What is Mediation? Disputing a will can be expensive, time consuming and emotionally draining if pursued through the courts. Mediation is an alternative approach to consider when deciding how to contest a will. This involves negotiating a settlement with the other party, outside of court. A will dispute is different to other types of legal claim because mediation is optional, not required. Five reasons to consider the option of taking […]
When challenging a will, claimants should consider what outcome would result in the event that the will is declared invalid. If the courts declare the only will of a deceased person invalid, the estate will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy. It is important when contesting a will, to be mindful of how these rules would distribute the property if the claim is successful, and specifically, whether they […]
Contesting wills is never something to be undertaken lightly. Consider these 5 issues before you decide what to do – and consider taking professional legal advice about your situation. Will you challenge the validity of the will, or just ask for reasonable financial provision? Challenging the validity of a will can be done on the following grounds: When the will does not meet the requirements set out in the Wills […]
The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 allows individuals challenging a will to apply to the courts for inheritance beyond that stated in the will. Although English law recognises the principle that people should be free to leave their property as they wish, the Inheritance Act recognises that family and dependants should be left with reasonable financial provision after the testator dies. A claim under the Inheritance Act […]
Sometimes, the problems that arise from a will aren’t about whether the person who made the will had the capacity to do so, or whether they were unduly influenced by someone else. Sometimes, the problems come from the way the will was drafted – and even properly drafted wills can cause problems in some circumstances. This happened in the case of Jump & Jones v Lister [2016] EWHC 2160 where the survivorship […]
If you have been disappointed with the contents of a will – perhaps you have been inexplicably left out of the will of a loved one or close relative, or you have been left less than you understood you would receive – it is important to make an application for pre-action disclosure as early as possible. Why are documents important in a will dispute? One of the key difficulties in […]
When you are thinking about any kind of legal action, a key concern will be the legal costs involved. It is no different when you are planning to challenge a will. It is a complex area of law, and you will need specialist legal advice and support to help you navigate the process, and succeed in your will claim. A no win no fee arrangement offers a sensible approach to […]
A few months back, we looked at the issue of ‘fraudulent calumny’ – which is a kind of undue influence – and how it can be used to challenge a will. The recent case of Christodoulides v Marcou [2017] EWHC 2632 (Ch) is another opportunity to look at what fraudulent calumny involves. The facts in Christodoulides v Marcou This case involved a dispute between 2 sisters, Niki and Andre in relation […]
There’s a commonly held belief that if you live with someone without being married or in a civil partnership, you have the same rights as if you were married. This belief in the existence of a ‘common law marriage’ is wrong. The reality is that a cohabitee has no equivalent status to a spouse of civil partner. This means that, if you are a cohabitee and your partner dies, your […]
One of the questions you are bound to ask yourself when you are thinking about challenging a will is “How will this all end?” Many people have very little involvement with legal disputes. Even their experience of working with a solicitor may be limited to buying a house. Many people have a mental picture of a court room drama playing out when they think of a will dispute. The reality […]
A holographic will is one which is entirely handwritten by the Testator and signed by him (or her). In many ways, whether a will is handwritten or not makes no difference in England and Wales, because it must still be properly signed and witnessed in order to be valid. However, holographic wills can give rise to issues of validity and can cause problems with interpretation. Do special rules apply to […]