Are you thinking about contesting your partner’s will? Our team of specialist inheritance lawyers have just won a six-figure settlement for the unmarried partner of a man she had been living with for over 10 years who failed to make provision for her in his will. If you have found yourself in a similar position then contact our free helpline.
This is a real life case study of claim we handled for a client who successfully contested her late partner’s will.
Our client’s late partner had separated from his wife many years previously, but they had never divorced. Nor had he ever changed his very old will that named his wife and children as the principle beneficiaries of his estate.
When he passed away our client was left without financial provision. She therefore contacted specialist lawyer Naomi Irseon for guidance. Naomi advised that she could make a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family & Dependants) Act 1975 and agreed to deal with the case on a no win, no fee basis.
Although our client’s late partner was known to have a high net worth, his spouse and children denied that he had any money at all. In fact, they claimed his estate was insolvent!
They also said that he had died outside of the England and Wales legal jurisdiction, which if true would mean that our client would be unable to pursue an Inheritance Act claim under English law.
The deceased had been very canny in the way he managed his financial affairs, investing his wealth in trusts and foreign assets. This made it very difficult for his assets to be traced. However Naomi was undaunted by this and undertook a meticulous forensic investigation.
To resolve the domicile dispute Naomi issued court proceedings with the aim of bringing the case before a judge for a decision. This sent a clear message to the wife and children that our client was intent to proceed all the way to trial if necessary. Therefore to avoid the cost of lengthy court proceedings they confirmed to us that they were willing to reach an out of court settlement.
Following negotiations an agreement was eventually reached that provided for our client to receive a significant six-figure sum, notwithstanding the arguments that the estate was insolvent.
If you are you thinking about contesting your partner’s will and would like to know where you stand then contact our free legal helpline for a case assessment. Call freephone 0333 888 0409 or email us at [email protected].