Morris v Fuirer & ors [2022] WTLR 659
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Summer 2022 #187The claimant, who was the only child of Cynthia Morris (the testatrix), was the principal beneficiary under her will dated 25 October 2000 but not under later wills made on 28 November 2006 and 14 July 2010 (the wills). The testatrix died on 7 August 2017. Under the terms of her last will, the second and third defendants were appointed as executors; pecuniary legacies were bequeathed to the claimant (£35,000), the first defendant (£70,000) and the fourth defendant (£10,000); and her residuary estate was gifted to the sixth to ninth defendants who were charities. The claimant first intima...
Gardiner v Tabet & anr [2020] WTLR 931
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2020 #180By a will dated 29 May 2017 (the will), Eric Tabet (the testator) gave the whole of his estate to the claimant. The testator, who suffered from long-standing mental illness, had recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour. The will, which was in accordance with the testator’s long-held testamentary intentions, was drawn up by Mr Jamal Hammoud, his close friend for 30 years. He is said to have prepared the will in accordance with those instructions, to have read it aloud to the testator and to have witnessed his signature of it together with another friend, Mr Moshin Lakhim. The testator ...
Christodoulides v Marcou [2020] WTLR 883
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | Autumn 2020 #180The claimant and the defendant were sisters, the daughters of Agni Iacovou (the testatrix). By her will dated 7 August 2012 (the will), made shortly before her death two days later, the testatrix gave her entire net residuary estate to the claimant whom she appointed to be her executrix. The claimant issued proceedings on 18 June 2014 seeking an order that the court pronounce for the will in solemn form. The defendant defended the claim on the basis that the will had been procured by fraudulent calumny – that the claimant had poisoned the mind of the testatrix by casting untruthful asper...
Elliott v Simmonds & anr [2016] EWHC 732 (Ch)
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | October 2016 #163Kenneth William Jordan (Mr Jordan) died on 4 August 2012 leaving a wife (from whom he was estranged) and two adult children. The claimant was Mr Jordan’s partner during the last years of his life and the first defendant was his daughter from a relationship that predated his marriage. He had previously made a will giving pecuniary legacies to the first defendant and two of his sisters with the residuary estate passing to the claimant. Subsequently, in January 2012, Mr Jordan gave instructions to Mr Mumford (who was his brother-in-law), a solicitor with the firm Melia Mumford, to make a ne...
Re SH [2016] EWCOP 2
Wills & Trusts Law Reports | May 2016 #159SH, who was aged 93, lived with her granddaughter, FJ, in Walthamstow. She had three sons, two of whom, RL and KLC, also lived in London. In April 2002, RL paid the entire purchase price for his mother’s flat and, by a trust deed, SH acknowledged that he was the beneficial owner subject to her right to live there for as long as she wished on payment of all outgoings. Six years later, on 23 April 2008, SH made two lasting powers of attorney (LPAs), one for property and affairs and one for personal welfare, whereby she appointed RL to be her sole attorney. Subsequently, on 17 July 20...