Wills and probate

Cat-lover who continued to claim benefits after inheriting £50,000 cleared of fraud

Yesterday, a cat-loving woman was cleared of four charges of making false statements or concealing her true financial capital to obtain £22,000 in benefits, between 2005 and 2011, at Gloucester Magistrates Court.

According to the Daily Mail, she was acquitted even though she appeared to have hidden a £50,000 inheritance from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and her local council, while continuing to claim pension credits.

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Estate left to nephew despite late art historian’s wishes

The nephew of a deceased art historian has won a hearing at the Court of Appeal regarding the inheritance of a property worth £800,000, despite a witness statement by the historian saying his nephew “would be the last person that I would leave the house to”, according to The Telegraph.

William Taylor, 90, believed Roger Taylor, his nephew, would spend all the money if he inherited the property, so wanted to donate £650,000 of his £1m estate to charity.

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Bee Gees’ member’s family fears inheritance dispute with mother of love child

On Sunday the 20th of May Robin Gibb, a member of the Bee Gees, died from liver and colon cancer. Many are now curious how his assets will be divided.

The Daily Mail reports that the singer had an open relationship with his wife Dwina, with whom he had three children. One of the women Gibb had been involved with was the couple’s former housekeeper, Claire Yang, and the two had a child together. (more…)

Legal Services Board calls for will-writing to be regulated

In 2011, the Legal Services Board (LSB), which regulates all solicitors in England and Wales, gave notice to the Lord Chancellor that it was going to conduct a statutory investigation regarding the will-writing, probate and estate administration services. There is currently no legislation covering who may write a will, this was a particular area of interest.

Prior to this notification, the LSB received advice from the Legal Services Consumer Panel, highlighting the fact that consumers who wish to make a will are often subjected to substandard services. (more…)

Famous composer’s carer wins dispute with family

Since the death in 2006 of Sir Matthew Arnold, the Oscar-winning British composer, there has been a long-running battle over the division of his estate between two of Arnold’s children and their father’s long-term carer.

On Wednesday the high court awarded Anthony Day the right to the manuscript of Arnold’s last symphony, and £62,500 back-pay for 22 years’ worth of untaken holidays during his care work. (more…)

Lead singer of the Monkees suffers fatal heart attack

The lead singer of the 1960’s band the Monkees, Davy Jones, has died after suffering a heart attack at the age of 66. Jones was loved by fans for his wit and enjoyed wide success through his career with the Monkees, a group which was originally set-up for a US TV series.

Jones leaves behind his third wife and four daughters. His death is thought to have been natural and no suspicious circumstances have surfaced. (more…)

Sibling rivalry highlights major inheritance issue

Adoption has long been a sensitive subject, with people’s lives and emotions at the fore. A recent case, though, has dramatically highlighted one of the potential flaws in the system.

Sometimes, children become part of a family without being officially adopted. A non-biological family may consider their new member to be as dear to them as their biological offspring. However, in the absence of a properly executed will, a child that has not been adopted does not have any inheritance rights. (more…)

L'Oréal heiress is put under guardianship as family feud continues

The family drama involving France’s richest woman, Liliane Bettencourt, took a dramatic twist on Monday 17 October as a judge rules she is no longer fit to manage her financial affairs.

The judge in Paris ordered the 88-year-old heir to the L’Oréal fortune to be placed under the guardianship of her eldest grandchild, Jean-Victor Meyers, and her fortune to be placed under his and his brother Nicolas’s guardianship. (more…)

Partner of dead TV presenter loses legal battle for inheritance

The homosexual partner of the late TV presenter Timothy Hadcock-MacKay has lost his legal battle against the executors of the deceased’s will.

Alexander Torquil Mackenzie-Buist told the Court of Appeal that the executors had “eroded” the value of Hadcock-MacKay’s estate and were in danger of leaving him with nothing. However, the court said Buist’s request to have the executors replaced had “no prospect of success” and therefore refused him permission to continue the claim in court. (more…)

Legal Ombudsman warns consumers ‘ripped off’ by unregulated will writers

The first annual report by the chief Legal Ombudsman, Adam Sampson, has revealed that a high number of consumers are calling his organisation to complain about the legal services they have received from non-regulated providers.

In particular, thousands of consumers have been “ripped off” by unregulated will writers, resulting in invalid wills and high costs for unprofessional services. (more…)