Son awarded 25% of residual estate after his own divorce left him disinherited
A son who was likely to have been disinherited in his late mother’s will as a result of his own divorce proceedings has been awarded 25% of the residual estate after his 1975 Inheritance Act claim The case of David Marcus Isaacs v Michael Anthony Green & Ors [2025] EWHC 1951 (Fam) centred on three […]
Disputed inheritance leads to restraining order
A court has imposed a restraining order on a daughter after her inheritance was placed into a family trust sparking tension in the family. Genevieve Oriel has been restricted from seeing her elderly mother, Hilda Maunsell, for a period of five years after a court ruled her behaviour had been “persistent, intentional, and caused frustration”, […]
Estate planner banned from profession after falsely witnessing LPA
An estate planner has been banned from the profession after admitting to falsely witnessing the signatures of a donor and two attorneys to a lasting power of attorney (LPA), rendering it invalid. Ian Heslop, who was working as self employed estate planning consultant at Co-Operative Legal Services (CLS) at the time, has admitted gross misconduct […]
Bigamist’s estate to be split between ‘former’ and ‘current’ spouse after high court claim
A man who was legally married to his previous partner and married a second is at the centre of an inheritance dispute following his death from cancer in 2020. Accountant James Dinsdale’s £1.8m estate is the subject of a high court battle between his ‘current; wife, beautician Margaret Dinsdale and his ‘previous wife Dr Victoria […]
Grave Robbers; probate researchers’ role underplayed in BBC podcast
The hit BBC podcast Grave Robbers, part of the Shadow World series, has brought to public attention a little known fraud where criminals have been using the Bona Vacantia list to identify vacant and unclaimed estates, producing fraudulent wills and submitting them to be awarded grant of probate. Once the criminals have the grant, they […]
High Court recognises carer’s right to compensation from mother’s estate in Rogers v Wills
In a ruling from the England and Wales High Court (Rogers v Wills, 2025 EWHC 1367 Ch), a long-running family dispute over unpaid caregiving culminated in a decision affirming the claimant’s entitlement to compensation from her late mother’s estate. The case centred on Ursula Wills, who passed away in April 2020. Her will, executed prior […]
Standish v Standish – how a landmark separation shows the importance of collaboration and fairness
The Supreme Court’s decision in Standish v Standish brings long-awaited clarity to the treatment of non-matrimonial assets on divorce – welcome news for family lawyers, tax advisers, and estate planners. How did we get here? Mr Standish entered the marriage with substantial pre-acquired wealth. In 2017, following estate and tax planning advice, he transferred investments worth £77.8 […]
Disputed will centre of claim to car boot mogul’s fortune
A disinherited son is taking his claim to London’s High Court for a share of his £43m estate after claiming his father was unable to properly execute his final two wills due to dementia. Richard Scott’s estate is at the centre of a battle between his eldest son Adam Scott and Jennifer Scott, Richard’s second […]
£14.5m High Court trust dispute arose over biological status of son
A court battle between between two siblings who found out in adulthood one was the product of an affair are to share a £14.5m trust fund after a High Court judge ruled the intention of their father’s will was to include his ‘children’ regardless of their biological relationship to him. Stuart Marcus had built a […]
No timeline for unclaimed Estates list to be re-published
The Government Legal Department have said there is no timeline on when the Bona Vacantia list will be available again online on GOV.UK after it was taken down earlier this week. On Monday, the unclaimed Estates list published by the government was taken down following an expose detailing how fraudsters are exploiting gaps in the […]
Delays could leave infected blood scandal victims liable for IHT on compensation payments
Delays in compensation payments to victims of the infected blood scandal means some families are facing unexpected inheritance tax bills in a technicality known as ‘secondary transfer’ after payments to families of victims who have died are treated as part of their estate. The issue was flagged by the Association of Lifetime Lawyers (ALL) and […]
High court rules will was forgery to disinherit daughter
A disputed will has been found to be a forgery in a high court decision after the death of Mr Monir Jaman Shaikh in April 2020 sparked a series of events which ultimately saw his only daughter disinherited. The case was brought by Mrs Mosammat Shapna Khatun whose father, Mr Shaikh, had apparently disinherited his […]
MPs vote in favour of historic assisted dying bill
MPs have voted in favour of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill which would in certain circumstances legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. After some last minute concerns by those in favour of the cause, the bill passed with a majority of just 23 votes with 314 MPs voted for the bill […]
‘Severe sanctions’ for lawyers who fail to verify AI research, with a warning for managers
A High Court ruling related to the use of AI in legal proceedings has warned there will be ‘severe sanctions’ for lawyers who fail to comply with their professional obligations when using the technology. Managing partners and heads of chambers must demonstrate that ‘practical and effective measures’ have been taken to ensure every person providing […]
Experts divided over landmark case that sets out binary test to protect vulnerable borrowers
The Supreme Court has ruled a bank had a duty to investigate whether a woman was acting under the influence of her partner when the couple took out a remortgage, in a landmark case that extends protection for vulnerable people at risk of economic abuse by their partners. The ruling has divided experts, with some […]
Court has no role in rewarding ‘meritorious conduct’ in inheritance dispute case
Central London County Court has rejected the claims of a sister who said her hyper-sensitivities prevented her from being able to move out of her mother’s house and split the inheritance equally between the other two sisters. The case centred on the claims of Sharon Duggan who claimed she was entitled to a greater share […]
Assisted dying could be delayed until 2029
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the private member’s bill brought forward by MP Kim Leadbeater to legalise assisted dying, could be delayed until 2029 following concerns it is ‘unworkable.’ Spen Valley MP Leadbeater has championed the cause, introducing the bill in October 2024. But the timelines for its introduction could now be […]
Millionaire’s daughter’s appeal for share of father’s wealth rejected by Court of Appeal
Two daughters who reportedly referred to their father as the “chequebook” have had their claims to his estate rejected by the Court of Appeal. This brings an end to the long running dispute, Miles v Shearer. The case helps clarify if there is any legal obligation to maintain an adult child and how their lifestyle […]
Uno flatu: a double process in one breath
Stephanie Kerr, Senior Associate of independent law firm Brabners LLP comments on the two recent occasions on which the High Court has considered the effect of the wording “I leave devise bequeath and appoint”. In 2021, Deputy Master Dray considered the point in Equiom v Velarde [2021] EWHC 1528 (Ch) and the decision on appeal […]
Ground-breaking litigation of s.11, Inheritance Act 1975 could have significant consequences
The first judgment on a reasonable provision claim under s.11 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the 1975 Act) has been given in the case of Sismey v Salandron. In the case the testator was a male divorcee who had divorced his third wife in 2017, and at the time of […]