T v V & ors [2019] WTLR 1029
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2019 #176The Claimant had been in a relationship with the deceased for about fifteen years up to his death on 26 June 2016. She brought a claim against the estate for reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 (‘1975 Act’) in October 2017. The Claimant’s case was that there were significant periods of cohabitation during which the deceased supported her financially and that she was therefore a dependent within the meaning of s1(1)(e) of the 1975 Act. This was disputed by the Defendants and the matter was listed fo...
Cowan v Foreman & ors [2019] WTLR 441
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2019 #175The claimant applied for an order under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the 1975 Act), s2, against the estate of her deceased husband (the deceased). Probate of the deceased’s will was granted on 16 December 2016 and the application was made on 8 November 2018. Under s4 of the 1975 Act, except with the permission of the court any application for an order under s2 was to be made within six months of the date of the grant. This was an application for permission to make the substantive application out of t...
Banfield v Campbell [2018] WTLR 781
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2018 #173The claimant was a cohabitant with the late Sarah Elizabeth Campbell (‘deceased’) at 3 Westville Road, Thames Ditton (‘property’). The deceased had previously been married to Neil Robert Campbell, with whom she had a son, the defendant. Mr Campbell died on 27 October 1992 and, a year or two later, a romantic relationship developed between the claimant and the deceased. In around 2001, the claimant moved into the property to live with the deceased though he continued to stay with his elderly mother for several days and nights each week until she died in 2010. The claimant’s relationship w...
Thompson v Raggett & ors [2018] WTLR 1027
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2018 #173Wynford Hodge died on 4 February 2017 leaving a will under which he gave his residuary estate to the fourth and fifth defendants, who were tenants of one of the deceased’s properties. He made no provision for his partner, the Claimant, with whom he had lived as man and wife for 42 years. It was accepted that the Claimant was financially dependent upon the deceased immediately before his death.
In 2016 the deceased had purchased a cottage with a view to residing there with the Claimant. However, due to ill health, this plan never came to fruition. The deceased died leaving a net es...
Blackwell Deceased [2018] WTLR 1243
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2018 #170The applicant, Mr Warner, was the unmarried partner of the deceased. Before her death they had lived together for 19 years at a property in Tewkesbury. Mr Warner continued to live in this property after her death. Mrs Lewis, the daughter of the deceased, brought a claim in the County Court for possession of the property and for the return of certain items under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977. Mr Warner defended this claim, and made a separate application for relief under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (‘the 1975 Act’). It was agreed by the pa...
Miles v Miles [2018] WTLR 1347
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Winter 2018 #170The appellant, Matthew Miles, one of the original beneficiaries under the will of the deceased, appealed from the order of district judge Harper dated 16 December 2016. The application before the judge was for reasonable provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 made by Marion Miles, Matthew Miles’ mother. The judge had ordered that all of the deceased’s estate should go to Marion.
There was no appeal from any of the other beneficiaries. It was accepted that the deceased had not made reasonable provision for Marion. The sole issue was ...
Martin v Williams [2017] WTLR 1041
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2017 #169This was an appeal against a decision of the County Court ([2016] WTLR 1075) to make reasonable financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 for Mrs Joy Williams from the estate of her deceased partner Norman Martin. Under the terms of Mr Martin’s last will his entire estate passed to Mrs Maureen Martin, Mr Martin’s wife, from whom he was separated, but to whom he remained married until the date of his death. Mr and Mrs Martin had not divorced but they had made an informal arrangement regarding their separation.
HHJ Gerald made an order ...
Ilott v The Blue Cross & ors [2017] WTLR 533
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2017 #168The testatrix (T) died in 2004 leaving an adult daughter (C) from whom she had been estranged for 26 years. C had left home aged 17 to live with her boyfriend (B), of whom T disapproved. B later became C’s husband and they had five children. At the time of T’s death, C and her family lived in straitened financial circumstances: they lived in a house rented from a housing association, were reliant on benefits save for the husband’s intermittent work as a supporting actor and could not afford new household equipment or family holidays.
During the lifelong estrangement there had been...
Lewis v Warner [2016] EWHC 1787 (Ch)
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | October 2016 #163A died on 6 May 2014. A reconstituted will admitted to probate left A’s only child (L) her entire estate comprising principally of her home (the property). A had lived in the property with her partner (S) for almost 20 years. S continued to live there after A died.
L, as executrix of A’s estate, issued a claim for possession of the property, damages for trespass and mesne profits against S. S issued an application under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Both claims were heard before Recorder Christopher Gardner QC.
There was no real dispute as ...