Warring Family Fight For £800,000 Estate
A contentious probate family feud the judge dubbed ‘a fight to the death’ is currently being heard in court. Shirley Guymer, 78, died childless in 2016, two years after her late husband had passed away. Lacking children of her own, Mrs Guymer looked to her nieces, nephews and siblings as potential beneficiaries to her estate. […]
Cryogenics Codicil Sparks Legal Battle
An American Cryogenics firm is counter-suing the son of a deceased scientist after a communication debacle resulted in the decapitation of the cadaver. A recent case in America has highlighted the importance of adhering to the wishes expressed in a Will and the severe consequences that can arise from deviations. Lifelong scientist and cryonics expert, […]
Solicitor’s Conduct Questioned After Becoming Beneficiary
After becoming a beneficiary of a client’s Will, which saw him inherit over £43,000, retired solicitor Stuart Murphy has now been fined for poor conduct with regards to the way he dealt with his client. According to a Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) report, Mr Murphy first acted for his client ‘Mrs C’ in September 1996, […]
Epstein Estate Confident In Victim Compensation Fund
The lawyer representing the estate of deceased suspected sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, is confident the majority of Epstein’s accusers will drop their lawsuits and join the victim compensation fund. A letter filed in Manhattan federal court by estate lawyer, Bennet Moskowitz, highlighted five accusers set to drop their lawsuits in order to enter into the […]
Documentary Highlights Financial Gain Motive
Benjamin Field was found guilty of murdering 69-year-old Peter Farquhar in August of 2019. It appeared financial gain was Mr Field’s motivation as he is said to have tricked Mr Farquhar into changing his Will prior to the murder. In a TV documentary, that will air this evening, reveals how Mr Farquhar’s relatives and the […]
Unkind Daughter Loses Contentious Probate Case
The season of goodwill has fallen by the wayside within a feuding London family after a daughter has had her attempts to overturn her deceased mother’s Will rejected. Patricia Johnson contested the Will of her mother, Maudlin Bascoe, after it emerged, she was only set to inherit a reduced legacy of £100. Mrs Bascoe originally […]
Pensioner Loses £193,000 Inheritance After Sort Code Blunder
A disabled pensioner has lost £193,000 inheritance after giving out the wrong sort code. Peter Teich, 74, from Cambridge was withheld his inheritance payment by a bank after he inadvertently gave the wrong sort code. In an unfortunate turn of events, Teich had mistakenly got one digit wrong on his sort code and Barclays are refusing to refund it because the Barclays’ customer who received his inheritance would not give the bank permission to withdraw […]
Mother Loses Huge Inheritance Following Court Of Appeal Decision
Following a Court of Appeal ruling, Hilary Harrison-Morgan has been forced to repay millions from an inheritance offered from ex-partner and cohabitant, Dr Rainer Kahrmann. Having left his Swiss wife in 1991, rich banker, Dr Kahrmann, started a relationship which developed in cohabiting with Ms Harrison-Morgan. During the relationship, the pair conceived and raised twin sons in […]
The Burial Of Items With The Deceased
The discovery of the remains of a mystery warrior at an archaeological site near Chichester have brought to mind the longstanding practice of humans burying their dead with items of cultural, religious or sentimental value. The skeleton is believed to be an Iron Age warrior who died around AD43, at the time of the Roman […]
Pensioner Snubbed From Millionaire Father’s Fortune
A pensioner has been cut out of his multi-millionaire’s father’s Will because he was an unplanned baby and was not wanted. Retiree, Colin Johnston,77, believes his parents, Sidney and Elsie Johnston always preferred his little brother, Gary and his parents bared a grudge against him because his birth meant that his mother’s dream of becoming […]
Fiancée Loses Fight In Millionaire Contentious Probate Court Battle
A high-profile contentious probate case has once again emphasised the need for a detailed and up to date Will. The fiancée of millionaire businessman, Charles Caudle, has lost a court battle with her fiancée’s ex–wife despite being named as a beneficiary in his most up to date will. Despite being named as a beneficiary, the executor of Charles Caudle’s […]
Undue Influence – Contesting A Will, Should I Bother?
There are a handful of legal grounds for contesting a will. One of which is undue influence. This means one person has taken advantage of a position of power over another person, being the person making a will. But a recent survey has found that this is the least successful of all the legal grounds […]
Court Of Protection Grants Man Permission To Marry
The England and Wales Court of Protection (CoP) has granted a 28-year-old man permission to marry his fiancée, following questions about his capacity raised by his deputy. The gentleman has learning difficulties, and as a result of a road traffic accident during adulthood, in which he lost a leg, he was awarded £1.5million compensation. Adrian […]
Criminally Incompetent Will Writer Handed Two-Year Conditional Discharge
A Will writing director has been handed a two-year conditional discharge for ‘criminal incompetence.’ James Usher, company director of Wills and Trusts Warehouse Ltd in Warrington, was found guilty of taking client money to complete various estate management services only to fail in completing the work. Usher agreed to complete a range of important and time […]
Court Of Protection Orders Paternity Test On Incapacitated Male
DNA samples will be taken from a 76-year-old incapacitated man to determine the parentage of three adult children. An application, made on behalf of patient E by his deputy, Richard Bagguley, was approved by the England and Wales Court of Protection, even though the protected person lacks capacity to give his consent. The paternity test […]
Court Rules Legacy To Jersey Trust Exempt From UK IHT
The Supreme Court has ruled that a charitable gift left to a Jersey charitable trust was found to be exempt from UK inheritance tax (IHT). In Routier and Anor v HMRC [2019] UKSC43 the Court found that a legacy bequeathed by a jersey resident to a local charity is exempt from a £600,000 UK IHT charge. The testator, Beryl Coulter, […]
Woman Convicted Of Fraud After Inadvertently Claiming Benefits Following Inheritance Windfall
A woman in Norfolk has been convicted of fraud after failing to inform the Department for Work and Pensions of the inheritance she received whilst claiming benefits. People work hard throughout their lives to accumulate assets and wealth to hopefully pass on their wealth through inheritance after they die. Whilst this gift is offered with […]
New Research Sheds Light On Potential Improvements To Supported Will-Making
In April 2019, the Law Commission welcomed new research on the potential for reform to Will making for individuals with intellectual disability. The study, entitled, Supported Will-Making: A Socio-Legal Study of Experiences, Values, and Potential in Supporting Testamentary Capacity (the report) authored by Professor Rosie Harding, Dr Ezgi Taşcıoğlu, and Magdalena Furgalska, looked at the […]
Court Action Against Attorneys Reaches Record High Levels
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) has taken drastic action against hundreds of attorneys alleged to have exploited their position in 2018/2019, reaching the largest number ever recorded. The OPG has applied for court orders against attorneys alleged to have misbehaved badly in over 700 cases in the past 12 months. According to data […]
Perth Man Commits Financial Abuse On Vulnerable Pensioner
An elderly Perth man has been charged with forming a fraudulent scheme after attempting to steal £51,000 from the estate of a 93-year-old local pensioner. 74-year-old, James Heggie, who appeared before the Sheriff Court in private, made no plea and his case has continued due to making further inquiries and was freed on bail in […]
