What Actually Happens When We Take On Your Will Dispute Claim?

This is an example of a typical recent Will contest claim involving a so-called adult child pursuing a claim for financial provision under section 2 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1975/63).

To explain, a claim under the 1975 Inheritance Act, is not a claim that there is something wrong with the Will, rather that it unreasonably fails to make financial provision. A claim of this type is limited to a select group of potential claimants to include the spouse and children of the deceased. It is an Act which seeks to prevent potential unfairness to close members of the deceased’s family when he or she exercise their right to leave their estate to whomsoever they please.

It was probably envisaged that the 1975 Inheritance Act would apply to those cases where the deceased, who had a young family, left his estate to his French mistress. However, the Act on its face goes beyond that and includes adult children, whom, a succession of cases has revealed, are perfectly at liberty to claim as well and successfully so (see for example https://swarb.co.uk/nahajec-v-fowle-misc-18-jul-2017/ which we previously commented upon in https://www.willclaim.com/inheritance-act-post-ilott/).

In our real case the adult child was adopted by the deceased. He had been the subject of an abusive upbringing (sexual). In consequence, he left home early (at age 14) and before he had a chance to complete his education. His career suffered in consequence. He was only ever engaged in manual work and his employment record was intermittent because of mental health issues. A lifetime of mental health and financial problems ensued and when he came to make his claim he was over 60 years old.

Whilst there had been an estrangement between our client and the deceased for the whole of his adult life, this was completely understandable and reasonable.

So what did we do when we took on this claim and how was it resolved?

The nuts and bolts of running a claim like this one are quite straight-forward. It has a time limit of 6 months from the date of the Grant of Probate (the “Grant of Probate” is the licence to administer an estate which must be obtained by the Will Executor). Given so, and because we are obliged to provide our client’s key evidence to the Court as soon as a court claim is made, we immediately take steps to obtain a detailed statement. The statement has to be as accurate and as detailed as possible and will include the background to the relationship between the deceased and our client, our client’s health issues and his financial circumstances and needs.

Once the statement has been obtained, we will then go about putting together a detailed letter of claim. This is a very important document. It will provide the legal basis for the claim (ie  “the law” in relation to the Will dispute or claim against the estate). The statement that we mention above, provides the factual basis for the claim and is exhibited to the detailed letter of claim.

There are certain matters which the detailed letter of claim must refer to in the Will dispute case. For instance, what is being claimed and the actual legal remedy sought. Also, where the claim is disputed, it is essential to ask the Defendants for their critical papers. This is called a request for “disclosure”.

Of more importance to this case, however, was our offer to engage in “alternative dispute resolution”. In other words, to try and resolve the claim without going to Court. In this instance we offered to mediate and a mediation did in fact take place.

What is a mediation – in simple terms it is a negotiation, usually in a formal setting where each side has a private room and need not meet the other, but where a professional facilitator called a “mediator” helps to bring the parties together (in terms of their differences rather than physically!) to resolve the dispute.

During the mediation settlement terms were offered, adjusted and eventually accepted. Our client received a substantial share of the deceased’s estate.

If you consider that any of these facts and matters are likely to apply to you, then please do not hesitate to contact us for a confidential no strings chat.