Continue reading "Wills: Lost and found"
The defendant firm of solicitors had acted for Hazel Charlton (testatrix) of 12 Cecilia Road, Leicester, in relation to a will that she had made on 14 May 1998 (1998 will). The testatrix, who had been previously married twice, had spent the last 20 years with her partner, John Fishbein, latterly living in his house at Barton on Sea. Apart from Mr Fishbein, the residuary beneficiaries of the 1998 will were respectively the testatrix’s cousin, Mrs Atkinson, and friend, Dr Bhangoo. The claimant, who was a step-granddaughter of the testatrix by her second husband, was not a beneficiary...
Christopher Swain (C) built up a very successful business and held 72% of the shares in a group of companies in which each of his four daughters also held 5.3% of the shares. He was advised by a small firm of chartered accountants who prepared tax returns for him, the company and the family trusts and at times for each of his daughters and by a small firm of solicitors who prepared his will, dated 17 January 2006. C decided to sell his company to the management and to use Mills & Reeve, a large full-service law firm (the firm) to advise him and his daughters on the MBO. In June 2006 ...