Filipina Widow Loses Share Of Husband’s Fortune
A Filipina widow loses in a court fight against her stepchildren over her husband’s fortune. Rosita Hendry, 52, met her husband Michael Hendry, who was 20 years her senior, in the Philippines in 2001 and married two years later, residing together in Surrey. Their relationship broke down following accusations of alcoholism and adultery which resulted […]
Charities Lost £25,000 After Attorney Abuses Position
Three well-known charities have lost more than £25,000 because a carer exploited his role as an attorney to an elderly widow. Zlatko Bogdanovic, 62 who resided at Brunswick street in Leamington at the time of the offence pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of a position of trust and a charge of making dishonest claims […]
Warring Step-Siblings Ask Judge To Decide Who Died First
Two step-sisters are asking a High Court Judge to decide which of their parents died first in order to ascertain who pockets the £300,000 inheritance. John Scarle aged 79 and his wife Ann aged 69 died of hypothermia at their home in Essex in October 2016. This has resulted in Anna Winter (Mr Scarle) and […]
Tensions Rise Over Aretha Franklin’s Handwritten Will
Aretha Franklin’s family are in a bitter feud over the legitimacy of handwritten wills being recently found and the current handling of her estate. Despite Franklin dying intestate last summer, it seemingly appeared at the time that there would not be a family dispute – reporting that her four sons would receive equal shares of […]
Taxi Man Faces Hefty Court Bill Due To Invalid Will
A cabbie, based in East Sussex, who claimed a regular passenger had bequeathed him everything in his Will following his death, was overturned by the Court. Dean Hughes, 34, alleges Gary Mendez, 57, said he was leaving him ‘everything’ due to spending many years taking him to pubs because other taxi drivers refused owing to […]
Inheritance Disputes: Man Kills Brother After Will Omission
A man has been jailed for 18 years after killing his brother following an intense inheritance dispute. According to Direct Line research, the number of Wills and probate disputes making their way to HM Courts and Tribunals system increased by 6% in 2018. However, enraged that he had been omitted from his father’s Will following […]
A Court Battle Over Late Savoy Employee’s £415K Legacy
A cleaner is battling in court with a late Savoy Hotel worker’s family for £415,000 inheritance which she claims was promised before he passed away. Leonara Da Costa, 50, has claimed that she and the former Savoy Hotel Head Waiter, Harold Tickner had a “father and daughter” relationship in the last few years leading up […]
Probate Firm Fined After Three Year Delay To Administer Estate
The High Court has ruled that a probate firm must pay half of the costs of a beneficiary after the firm failed to progress the administration of his late mother’s estate. Chorus Law, based in the Midlands, was instructed in 2013 by Marquita Murphy to administer the estate of her mother, Eileen Gaskin, who had […]
Judge Issues A Warning On Contentious Probate Claim Deadlines
A High Court Judge issues a stark reminder after his recent decision resulted in a widow’s inheritance act claim, which contested her husband’s Will, being refused permission due to the deadline being passed. Those who wish to contest a Will have just six months to make claims against an estate if they believe they are […]
Mega Rich Car Boot King’s Son In Legal Battle Over £5m Will
The son of a multi-millionaire car boot king is in a legal battle with his young step-mum over the family inheritance after not receiving a penny from his Dad’s £5m Will. Richard Scott died at the age of 81 last summer after making a fortune from managing the UK’s second biggest boot fair from his […]
ICAEW Fails To Extend Its Legal Services Regulatory Work
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has lost its appeal over extending legal services regulatory work after its application against the Lord Chancellor’s earlier refusal was turned down. In 2016, the world leading professional body that promotes, develops and supports over 180,000 chartered accountants and students, applied to become a regulator […]
The Late Freda Burgess Will Validity Dispute
This week ‘The Times’ reported on a Will validity dispute recently heard in the High Court where two sisters are said to allege that their late mother, Freda Burgess, did not have knowledge and approval of the contents of a Will executed in January 2013 bequeathing her circa £1.5 million estate equally between her three […]
Carer Steals Leon Brittan’s Brother’s Life Savings
Sir Samuel Brittan, who is the brother of former home secretary Leon Brittan, has been cruelly swindled out of his life’s savings. An arrest warrant has been issued for the conwoman, Michelle Braithwaite, who stole over £115,000 from author Sir Samuel Brittan. While suffering from reduced mental capacity, Braithwaite, who acted as his carer, plundered […]
Discussing High Court Decision In Paull v Paull [2018] EWHC 2520 (Ch)
This article discusses the recent High Court decision in Paull v Paull [2018] EWHC 2520 (Ch) concerning whether a property transfer from an elderly father to his son could be set aside for presumed undue influence. The facts The claimant was Neville Paull. The defendant was his son, Bradley Paull. In 2010 Neville transferred his […]
Contentious Trust And Probate Quarterly Round-Up Autumn 2018
Gelber and another v The Sunderland Foundation and others [2018] The High Court has exercised its discretion under Section 57 of the Trustees Act 1925 to grant additional powers to the trustees of a settlement created by the 11th Duke of Marlborough. The trustees sought new powers (i) authorising them to pay part of the […]
Banks Prosper From Unfair IHT And Probate Fee Rules
Many people have anxiously pondered how the new probate fees would be funded in the future. Recent research has found that beneficiaries are being forced to deal with contrasting rules between inheritance tax (IHT) restrictions and applications of probate that are forcing executors to take out loans. Under the current archaic rules, IHT must be […]
Former Solicitor Commits Theft And Fraud Against Elderly Dementia Sufferers
An ex-solicitor who pleaded guilty to theft and fraud offences against elderly clients has been given a suspended prison sentence. Based in Hove, Paul Arscott, stole nearly £110,000 from three elderly clients who suffered from severe dementia. He has been given an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after appearing at Chelmsford Crown […]
Probate Fees Could Be Viewed As Fair And Just
Probate fees have been received with overwhelming condemnation since the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) released the amended law last week; many branding them as a sneaky and deceptive ‘stealth death tax.’ However, it seems as though the 60% of estates that will pay a comparable fee to the current system have been overlooked by the […]
Quarter Of Population Want To Pass On Their Digital Assets
The digital revolution has improved our lives in so many ways. It was only 25 years ago that teenagers would listen to the top 40 on radio 1, recording each song on cassette and waiting eagerly to pause the recording in order to avoid the annoying tones of the premature DJ that interrupted the song […]
Dishonest Solicitor Used Money from An Estate to Buy A house
A solicitor has been struck off after using money from an estate she was administering to invest in her own property which she then lived in – and also billed 68 hours for only one day’s work. Joanne Power qualified in 2002 and worked as the sole principal of Diamonds Legal in Buckhurst Hill, Essex. […]
