Suspended Sentence For Sister Who Attempted To Defraud Siblings Of Inheritance
Susan Johnson forged her late mother’s signature on documents relating to her will, disinheriting her two siblings of their equal share in the estate. Nottinghamshire Police conducted an investigation after suspicions were raised by Ms Johnson’s two siblings. During the investigation, it was revealed that following her mother’s death in 2016, Ms Johnson supplied a […]
HMRC Appeal On Pension Transfer Prior To Death
A pension scheme transfer just prior to death causes controversy in the Court of Appeal in relation to Inheritance Tax. HMRC appealed on a case which looks at whether a deceased’s motive of transferring her company pension to a private pension just before her passing was to solely avoid inheritance tax and benefit the beneficiaries. […]
‘Disinherited’ Daughter Could Lose Home In Estate Battle
Sonya Young, faces losing the £260,ooo home she won in her divorce settlement, after losing a legal battle with the RNLI, in which her father, an avid lifeboatman left the charity a large legacy. In 2008, Ms Young’s father Brian Cole created a will naming her as his main heir. But in a subsequent will […]
Estate Frozen To Give Abuse Victims Time To Claim Compensation
The estate of deceased teacher and clergyman Michael Studdert has been frozen, to give his assault victims the opportunity to put a claim against the £4.7million estate. Mr Studdert died in 2018, leaving a Will in which he outlined specific legacies for individuals and churches. The residue estate was then set to be given to […]
Battle Over Famous Puppets
Keith Harris’ Orville and Rod Hull’s Emu are two of the most iconic puppets that many of us remember fondly from our childhood. Now it seems the green duck and emu are entangled in a battle between their owner’s widows and a toy-maker, Roger Shaw, who seemingly borrowed them prior to the passing of Keith […]
Statutory Wills During COVID-19
As the world grapples with the implications of a global health pandemic, many have turned their minds to estate planning and will-making. The recent Certainty Expert Webinar from Tom Dumont QC, Barrister, Radcliffe Chambers titled ‘Execution of Wills, especially in a Lockdown’ highlighted the very real challenges faced by prospective donors in the current climate. […]
Man Seeks To Overturn High Court Decision
A bitter family dispute has continued to rumble on as a man attempts to overturn a High Court’s decision regarding his mother’s Will. Last month, we reported that Susan Bond, successfully overturned her mother, Jean Clitheroe’s Will enabling her to inherit part of the £325,000 estate that was solely left to her brother John Clitheroe. […]
Former Maharaja’s Family Wins Control Of £16bn Kerala Temple
A former royal family in India last week won its struggle with the state government of Kerala in a long-running dispute over control of a famous temple and its treasures, following a ruling by the country’s supreme court. The Hindu sacred site, located in Kerala’s capital city Thiruvananthapuram, is renowned for its vast collections of […]
Trio Escape Estate Fraud Prosecution
Constance Atkins, Brian Oxley and Jane Oxley were accused of estate fraud in relation to Reginald Atkins. The England and Wales High Court (EWHC) upheld the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to not prosecute the trio with regards to fraudulently obtaining the estate. Charles Constable, the nephew of the deceased (Reginald Atkins) alleged that Constance […]
Unlikely Event Leads To Win In £2m Inheritance Fight
A will thought to be lost for over a decade, that was central to a £2m inheritance dispute was discovered after a cat knocked over a pile of papers due to be shredded. Dean and Dale Brunt, along with their sister Venetia had owned between them Ettridge Farm in Hertfordshire, worth £6m after inheriting the […]
Succession Fee Victory In Contentious Probate Case
Recently, members of the Shoosmiths LLP Disputed Wills and Trusts Team took the time to speak to Today’s Wills and Probate about a recent case they dealt with (Bullock vs Denton and Willoughby), to give others in the profession an insight into issues that could arise as part of the case. Tara McInnes, Principle Associate […]
Oral Agreement Upheld To Share House Ownership
The England and Wales High Court has upheld an oral agreement between siblings John and Brenda Archibald and Patsy Alexander to share a house despite alleged lack of detriment (Archibald v Alexander, 2020 EWHC 1621 Ch). In 1997, the family home was purchased by the three siblings mother, however Patsy Alexander’s name was also added to the […]
Forfeiture Rule Doesn’t Apply To Woman Who Accidentally Killed Husband
74-year-old Sandra Amos has successfully inherited her husband’s estate, contesting her step-daughter’s case for forfeiture after she accidentally killed her husband in a car crash. Mrs Amos was driving herself and her husband Royston Amos to Canterbury from their home in Wales in January 2019. On the way to the destination Mrs Amos was involved […]
Brothers Victorious In Farm Inheritance Dispute
Following the death of Anthony (Tony) Sowray, who died intestate, his estranged daughter Claire naturally inherited his estate. However, problems arose when both Matthew and James Willis spoke of Claire’s father’s promise to them that they would inherit some of the estate. This was due to Matthew having worked on the farm for more than […]
Son Loses Estate Battle To Mother
A son has lost a court battle with his mother over a £6m estate he claimed he was promised would be “all his one day”. Peter Horsford, 54, was challenged by his mother, 88 year-old Marion Horsford, over the 540-acre estate in Hungtingdon, Cambridgeshire. Peter claimed during the court proceedings that he had been “groomed” […]
Woman Found Guilty Of Abusing Power Of Attorney
The daughter of a man who had been diagnosed with dementia, has abused her position of trust and stolen £4,600 over an eight-month period, spending money on purchases at Asda and Argos. Following his dementia diagnosis in October 2014, John Gould drew up a will giving power of attorney to his four children. Arrangements were […]
Dishonest Probate Solicitor Took Vulnerable Beneficiary’s Money
A probate solicitor has been struck off after convincing a vulnerable client to part with £4,700 to pay for repairs to a property they had inherited but instead the money went straight into her personal bank account. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) did not believe Vidal Eulalie Martin’s account of the story, who was a […]
Belgium King Admits He Fathered A Child In 1960s Affair
A woman who has fought for seven years to prove that an abdicated Belgian king is her biological father, has finally had an “grudging admission” from the king’s lawyer. The seven–year legal battle, and decades of rumours, ended after a court-ordered DNA test revealed that Delphine Boёl was in fact correct and was the biological daughter of former Belgian King Albert II. “His Majesty King Albert II has […]
Legal Action Concerning Storage Of Dead Persons Gametes
A “highly unusual claim” is current being heard over the access to a fertility clinic’s private records concerning the storage of a dead person’s “sperm and/or embryos”. Lawyers have applied to court representing the estate of a dead individual, who’s gender cannot be revealed, for permission to see the records held by a UK fertility […]
Solicitor Overcharged On Estate Bill Thrown Out By Tribunal
The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal cleared a solicitor who was accused of overcharging a client when administering an estate. The private client practitioner was acquitted of the alleged misconduct after the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) failed to prove that the professional had overcharged on an estate bill. Solicitor, Derwent Campbell, endured a three-day hearing only to […]
