Tadros & anr v Barratt & ors [2014] EWHC 2860 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | December 2014 #145

Wedad Tadros (the deceased), a Dutch national, died on 26 October 2006 leaving a number of wills in several jurisdictions. The wills forming the basis of these proceedings were an English will dated 13 September 2010 but purportedly signed on 14 May 2011, and a Dutch will dated 27 May 2011 which created a foundation to benefit orphans (the foundation). The foundation was formally set up on 6 November 2013 under Dutch law. Both wills were drafted as though the deceased’s husband were alive at the time, although he had died on 23 September 2010. There were concerns over the validity of the...

Phillips v RSPB & ors [2012] EWHC 618 (Ch)

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | June 2012 #120

Vera Gwendoline Spear (the testator) died on 5 January 2007 leaving a will dated 29 August 1997 (the will). Apart from a specific bequest of the testator’s pet parrot the will left the entirety of the testator’s estate on trust to her executors to be divided in equal shares between the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals, Monkey World Ltd and ‘the Owl Sanctuary Crow Ringwood Hampshire’. The value of the deceased’s residuary estate was approximately £260,000. The claimant was the testator’s sole executor an...

Barrett v Bem & ors [2012] EWCA Civ 52

Wills & Trusts Law Reports | May 2012 #119

Martin Lavin (the testator) died on 11 January 2004 in Hammersmith Hospital leaving a will in which he left everything to his sister Anne Liston whom he also appointed executor (the will). Anne died on 04 November 2004 having obtained probate of the will in June 2004. Her daughter, Hanora Bem was appointed her executor. Hanora wrote out the will at Hammersmith Hospital on the day of the testator’s death. The testator was alleged to have signed the will at approximately 3.30pm on the date of his death. It was purportedly witnessed by two staff nurses.

In May 2007, proceedings were ...