Wrigley Claydon Solicitors

Category: Disputed Wills and Estates

  • Sister wins inheritance after Solicitor’s cat knocks over legal papers to uncover Brother’s lost will

    Venetia Murray has been awarded £2m following an inheritance dispute.

    Venetia’ brother Dean Brunt died in 2007 and was thought not to have made a will.

    His share of a £6m farm he, his brother, Dale, and Venetia owned went to his mother, who then gave it to Dale.

    However, Venetia discovered the existence of two wills made by her brother in 1999 and she pursued a claim against Dale and the mother’s claims.

    It was claimed that one of the wills showed “crucial evidence” of Dean’s intention to give his sister half his wealth. This will was found when a solicitor’s cat knocked over a pile of papers about to be shredded in the solicitor’s office.

    At the High Court in London, Judge Teverson rejected claims by Dale and his mother that the wills were forged, and ruled that Venetia will get half of Dean’s share of the farm.

    Judge Teverson said there was a “substantial amount of evidence” that Dean had talked in the late 1990s about having made a will.

    It was claimed that Dean had told friends he had done what his grandfather would have wanted, leaving his share of the farm to his brother and sister, with his mum getting nothing.

     

    Suffering a dispute can have serious implications on you and your livelihood and reputation.  Our dispute resolution solicitors will quickly and efficiently put your case together and act on your behalf. Call Vijay Srivastava or Shalish Mehta in our civil and commercial litigation department on 0161 624 6811(Option 6) or email vjs@wrigleyclaydon.com or sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

    Will Dispute
    Civil Litigation
    Dispute Resolution
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  • Relief for bereaved families

    When someone passes away, banks and building societies will typically freeze their accounts and if the balance in the account is significant, they will require an official document known as a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration before most of the money can be released. This process can take months.

    However, some of Britain’s largest banks are increasing the amounts of money they will release from customer accounts to bereaved relatives without them first having to apply for a Grant.

    This is welcome news for many bereaved families, but concerns have been raised that as a result of the informal waiving of probate requirements the system could now be open to abuse. There are a number of practical issues that that need to be considered such as large amounts of money falling into the wrong hands and the implications this can have on the administration of an estate .For example  recouping money that has been paid out to the wrong person or  keeping track of the amounts of money due to the estate and how they should be shared out  can be difficult. This can also result in family disputes.

    With this in mind it is even more important to ensure that you have a Will. By having a Will, you can set out your wishes and appoint an executor or executors who you trust and know will administer your estate in accordance with your wishes as set out in your Will. If you have a will, the banks and building societies can only release your money to your chosen executors.

     If you would like to discuss making a Will or wish to review your current Will the team at Wrigley Claydon will be happy to help. Please call Rachel Damianou or Jyoti Patel on (0161) 624 6811 or email them at rld@wrigleyclaydon.com and jxp@wrigleyclaydon.com.

    Our offices are now open for clients by appointment and we hope to reopen our Saddleworth clinic very soon.

  • A Helping Hand

    Many people will have been isolating over recent months and some will be continuing to do so. It is at times like these that we realise how much we depend on others to help us out and that it’s essential to have a good network of people we can rely on. However, those we rely on need to have the tools to enable them to help us. During lock down many people have found a Lasting Power of Attorney was invaluable and many others have come to realise the need to have one.

     

    So what is a Lasting Power of Attorney?

    In its simplest form it is a legal document that you sign authorising someone to help deal with your affairs if necessary.

     

    Why can my next of kin not help me without one?

    More and more authorities are now requiring a Power of Attorney because sadly individuals have been taken advantage of by their family.

     

    Why should I make one now when I am fit and healthy?

    If you wait until you sadly have lost mental capacity due to illness or dementia it will sadly be too late for a Power of Attorney.

     

    How can I make a Power of Attorney?

    You can download the forms from the Office of the Public Guardian website or contact a solicitor. A solicitor will be able to act as the witness to your signatures and also carry out the assessment necessary to confirm you have the ability to make the Power of Attorney. Please call 0161 624 6811 or email rld@wrigleyclaydon.com and one of our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have and the prepare the paperwork for you if you decide to proceed.

  • Handwritten Wills found in Aretha Franklin’s home

    Following the recent discovery of handwritten Wills being found in Aretha Franklin’s home last month, her family has been arguing with each other over the validity and requests of Wills allegedly handwritten by Franklin before she passed away in 2018. .

    One of the Wills named her youngest son, Kecalf Franklin as the executor of her estate. However, other family members contest the Will and claim that Kecalf isn’t fit to handle such an important and valuable estate.

    Consequently, Kecalf has since filed two court petitions seeking to be made an executor of his mother’s estate, alongside Franklin’s niece, Sabrina Owens, who was appointed to the role last year – but with the intention to replace her in due course.

    Kecalf claims that Owens has “mismanaged the estate” and has “failed to perform a duty pertaining to office.”

    Franklin’s four sons are now in dispute over the issue and consequently went to court to determine if the Wills are admissible to probate. Accordingly, a handwriting expert has been hired to review the Wills but the examination has not been finalised.

    If you are seeking provision from an estate or are looking to defend a claim our Probate Partner Rachel Damianou and Litigation Solicitor Shalish Mehta provide professional and sympathetic assistance. Call Rachel or Shalish on 0161 624 6811 (Option 6) or email rld@wrigleyclaydon.com or sm@wrigleyclaydon.com. We can advise you on the appropriate course of action and assist with any legal documents or proceedings that may occur.

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