F v R [2023] WTLR 137
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2023 #190R had a lifelong significant disability and lacked capacity. His estate at the time of the application comprised income from state benefits. The total benefit income was £60,293.48 of which £52,381.60 was means-tested. R’s mother had a cousin, T, who passed away leaving their residuary estate to R absolutely. The bequest was in the region of £400,000-£600,000 which would have reduced R’s means-tested benefit entitlement to nil.
Proceedings were brought by F for approval of a deed of settlement which would result in the sum instead being left on a disabled person’s trust for the be...
Evans v Evans & anr [2020] WTLR 1231
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2020 #181The claimant was married to the deceased, and was the sole beneficiary of the deceased’s estate. The claimant, who suffered from motor neurone disease and lacked capacity, was represented by her litigation friend, her daughter. The defendants were the executors of the deceased’s estate, and were the sons of the deceased and the claimant, and the brothers of the claimant’s litigation friend.
In contested probate proceedings, the claimant sought, inter alia, an order removing the defendants as executors of the deceased’s estate and the appointment of an independent administrator.
Re LMS [2020] WTLR 1345
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2020 #181The applicant was the mother and an attorney of LMS, a 21 year old who had been assessed on 11 July 2020 as lacking capacity to make financial decisions. LMS’s grandfather had died, having made a will under which 30% of his residuary estate was held in trust for LMS contingently on attaining the age of 25. LMS was in receipt of a means-tested benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, and her placement in a specialist residential college was funded by the local authority, the residential component of which was also means tested. Her right to receive those means-tested benefits would ceas...
Bagguley v E [2020] WTLR 1
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Spring 2020 #178The claimant was the Property and Affairs Deputy for the defendant (E). The claimant applied for authority for buccal cell samples to be taken from E for the purposes of DNA testing to establish whether E was the father of three adults (D, P, and A).
E was expected to die within the year though his health was not currently critical ([28]). The procedure for collecting the sample was probably no more intrusive than assisting E to clean his teeth.
Earlier DNA tests were undertaken on E’s instructions in 1991. They indicated a 99.9% probability of paternity, provided no close ...
FL v MJL [2019] WTLR 1171
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2019 #177The Applicant, who was the sole deputy for property and affairs of his brother MJL, made an application for
(i) ratification of small gifts previously made on behalf of MJL and
(ii) authority to make prospective substantial gifts on behalf of MJL.
Both he and three siblings each provided witness statements in support. MJL, who was in his sixties, was unmarried and had no children. He had suffered a cardiac arrest ten years previously and was in a persistent vegetative state. His estate was in excess of £17m (the larger proportion of which was comprised in an investme...
PBC v JMA & ors [2019] WTLR 1193
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2019 #177This was an application by the applicant, PBC, the son and attorney under a lasting power of attorney of the patient, JMA, to authorise various gifts exceeding £7m in value. The purpose of the gifts was to achieve a reduction in inheritance tax (IHT) liability. JMA‘s total assets were estimated to be worth around £18,650,000, held in the form of investments and five paintings.
JMA was 72 years old, suffered from early onset dementia, and required full time care. She was unable to converse and did not recognise PBC or her care staff. It was agreed (and found) that she did not have ...
In the matter of Various Lasting Powers of Attorney [2019] WTLR 1443
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2019 #177In 15 separate applications under s23(1) Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), the Public Guardian (PG) asked the court to determine the effect of language used in lasting powers of attorney which he was asked to register. Some were withdrawn, leaving 11. The common theme was that each instrument expressed an intention that the attorney use the donor ‘s assets to benefit someone other than the donor.
PS: Under the heading ‘Preferences ‘, the donor entered the words ‘The needs of [LS] before anyone else ‘. Under the heading ‘Instructions ‘, she entered the words ...
LCN v KF & ors [2019] WTLR 633
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2019 #175CJF was a thirteen year old boy who suffered very serious neurological damage at birth. He was initially cared for by his mother, KJF, but she had also suffered complications as a result of CJF’s birth, so he ended up being cared for by a foster parent, LR under a Special Guardianship order. LR passed away in 2013, and the Special Guardianship order was transferred to LR’s daughter, EH, and her husband, AH. CJF’s father, BJF, had denied his paternity, was not named on his birth certificate, and had played no role in CJF’s life.
Before she died, LR brought a claim against the NHS T...
SAD & anr v SED [2018] WTLR 1439
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2018 #170The respondent, who had a history of mental health problems, made a lasting power of attorney (‘LPA’) for property and financial affairs on 1 April 2014 appointing as attorneys her mother and her two daughters, the latter of whom were the applicants. It was then registered by the Office of the Public Guardian. On 25 September 2015 the respondent executed a deed, which had been prepared by a solicitor whom she had not previously instructed, revoking the LPA. Its registration was subsequently cancelled by the Office of the Public Guardian. On 4 December 2015 the applicants made an applicat...
Easingwood v Cockroft & ors 2013 BCCA 182
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | December 2016 #165Reginald Easingwood (Reginald) was married to Kathleen Easingwood (Kathleen) from 1983. He had four children by his first wife, who had died in 1976. In April 2001, Reginald executed an enduring power of attorney in favour of his two children acting together. Three years later, in March 2004, Reginald made a will. Under that will, Kathleen was to have an entitlement to income in a fund of $525,000 (plus adjustment for each year), which upon her death would be divided between his children, his step children, and his grandchildren. He also gave his wife a life interest in the matrimonial h...