Nandakopan v Nandakopan [2024] WTLR 217
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2024 #194The deceased died intestate in 2020 with an estate worth around £120,000. He had married the claimant in January 1993, and they had a daughter, the defendant, in November 1993. They had an unhappy marriage and little family life, although they all continued to live together. In 2014, the deceased transferred the matrimonial home from his sole name to the joint names of him and the defendant as beneficial joint tenants, such that on his death his share of the property passed to the defendant. The property was worth around £450,000. In 2017, the claimant brought proceedings against the dec...
Antonio v Williams & anr [2023] WTLR 1
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2023 #190The claimant was born on 2 January 2010. His mother did not look after him and social services arranged for him to be taken from hospital to the home of his father’s sister (the deceased) and grandmother, the second defendant, at 42 Chestnut Rise, Woolwich. The claimant’s father was unable to contribute much to his care as he was imprisoned soon after his birth and burdened by significant debt. Thus, it was the deceased who contributed most to the maintenance of the claimant, who continued to live with her there until she died on 11 February 2016. By her will, made a day before her death...
Colbourne v Cooke & ors [2023] WTLR 43
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2023 #190On 13 May 2022 the applicant made an application by form N244 seeking permission to issue a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the 1975 Act) out of time, pursuant to s4 of that Act. A grant of probate had been made on 20 September 2021, and so the period of six months from grant expired on 20 March 2022. The evidence in support of the application exhibited a draft Part 8 claim form and witness statement, unissued.
The explanation for the delay was a technological malfunction in the applicant’s solicitors’...
Fennessy v Turner & anr [2022] WTLR 1295
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2022 #189The claim concerned the estate of Hazel Valerie Fennessy who had died on 2 February 2020 at the age of 78. The claimant was the deceased’s son. The deceased’s other child, Heidi, predeceased her by approximately six weeks.
The deceased’s will dated 24 January 2012 left her entire estate to Heidi and appointed her as sole executrix. It provided that if Heidi predeceased then the whole estate was left to the defendant, June Turner, who was also appointed as sole executrix.
Probate was granted on 26 October 2020. The value of the estate was stated as £342,075 (gross) and £336,...
Higgins v Morgan & ors [2022] WTLR 153
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2022 #186The claimant, Mr Higgins, brought a claim for reasonable provision out of the estate of the deceased, under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the 1975 Act), in his capacity as a person who, although not a child of the deceased, was treated by the deceased as a child of the family, within the meaning of s1(1)(d) of the 1975 Act. Mr Higgins’ mother had married the deceased when he was aged nine, and he had continued to reside with the deceased after his mother and the deceased divorced, at which time the deceased had been gr...
Delaforte v Flood & anr [2021] WTLR 499
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2021 #183The claimant was the granddaughter of the deceased who brought a claim for reasonable financial provision out of the estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (1975 Act). The defendants, both children of the deceased, were the executors and beneficiaries under her will. The deceased, who had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, had fallen and broken her hip, resulting in surgery and a spell in hospital. The medical advice was that she could not return home unless care was provided. The claimant, with the agreement of the defendants, m...
Wooldridge v Wooldridge & ors [2021] WTLR 755
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2021 #183The claimant was the 50-year-old widow of the deceased. She brought a claim for reasonable financial provision to be made for her from the estate of her late husband, Ian Wooldridge.
The first, second and third defendants were the executors of the estate and adopted a neutral stance. The fourth defendant was the deceased’s 28-year-old son from a previous marriage, and the fifth defendant was the deceased’s 12-year-old son.
There was some dispute over the value of the estate and the claimant’s entitlement under the deceased’s homemade last will, but a...
Re Noble [2020] WTLR 1371
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2020 #181John Robinson Noble (Mr Noble) died in 2014. The plaintiff was his youngest daughter, and the first and second defendants were respectively his eldest daughter and his son. Mr Noble left a will, of which the first defendant was the sole executrix. The will provided that Mr Noble’s estate should be held in trust for such of his children as survived him by 14 days and if more than one then in equal shares. His will expressed the wish that either of his daughters be permitted to live in his dwelling house (the family home) for so long as they require, but making clear that this expression w...
Shapton v Seviour [2020] WTLR 1047
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2020 #180The claimant was the daughter of the late Mr Colin John Seviour. The defendant was Mr Seviour’s second wife. Under the terms of Mr Seviour’s will the defendant was to take the entire estate outright. Mr Seviour died on 8 August 2016. His estate was sworn at £268,000 of which £215,000 was comprised in his share of the matrimonial home he had held under a tenancy in common together with the defendant.
In 2017 the defendant was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. In order to retain her independence she had to have the matrimonial home modified to accommodate her needs. The defendan...