wills Archives - Lyons Davidson Solicitors

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May 30, 2019
by Lyons Davidson

Law thoughts: choosing the beneficiaries of your will from the phone book

Luis Carlos de Noronha Cabral de Camara was a childless bachelor. At the time of his death, his estate comprised a 12-room apartment in central Lisbon, a house in the north of Portugal, a car and 25,000 euros. When he came to write his will, he didn’t have close family he wanted to leave anything … Continued

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April 25, 2019
by Lyons Davidson

Law thoughts: marriage automatically invalidates wills

There’s a general principle in law that marriage automatically invalidates wills made by either party before they get married.

December 20, 2018
by Lyons Davidson

Heir hunter loses his claim for £250,000 in costs

If it looks too good to be true – there may be a reason for that! The public’s attention was drawn to the heir hunter a few years ago when the BBC aired its television programme Heir Hunters. The company in this was involved in identifying estates where someone had died with no apparent beneficiaries. It … Continued

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July 20, 2017
by Lyons Davidson

Is the future of wills digital?

At the present time, the requirements for wills to be declared valid are set out in the Wills Act 1837, which came in to force just over 20 years after the Napoleonic Wars ended and the same year that Queen Victoria ascended to her throne. Under the current law, in order for wills to be … Continued

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March 16, 2017
by Lyons Davidson

Inheritance wars: parents v children

When Melita Jackson died in 2004, it’s highly unlikely that she could ever have imagined that her estate would become the basis for one of the most hard-fought and lengthy legal battles for many years, resulting in a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court on 15 March 2017. Mrs Jackson refused to leave her estate … Continued

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July 4, 2016
by Lyons Davidson

Pensioner slapped by 74-year-old sister over £2m inheritance row

You would think that leaving an estate to children equally would keep things simple and avoid a dispute but the late Ted Townsend couldn’t have foreseen the years of anguish that followed his death, when his children became embroiled in an inheritance dispute… Ted Townsend died in 2004 leaving a will gifting a portfolio of … Continued

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November 26, 2015
by Lyons Davidson

Contentious probate: fanning the flames over Robin Williams’ estate

Following the tragic suicide of Robin Williams, the comedian and actor who is perhaps best known for playing Mrs Doubtfire, lines were drawn and battle commenced between his widow, Susan Williams, and his three children from previous relationships. The argument revolved around who should receive various personal items belonging to the actor. In papers filed … Continued

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November 20, 2015
by Lyons Davidson

The rise of financial abuse of the elderly

It is a sad but unavoidable fact that financial abuse of the elderly in the UK keeps rising. Worse still is the fact that most of this type of abuse is committed by family members. A recent publication by KPMG indicates that the main perpetrator of this type of fraud is the ‘baby boomer’, who … Continued

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October 15, 2012
by Lyons Davidson

Wills and probate solicitor Tamara Hasson on making a will

Making sure one’s property is divided up according to one’s wishes after death needs careful planning. It’s not good enough to just leave a letter and even a properly constructed will may not be sufficient. The recent judgment in the case involving the estate of the late Bernard Matthews, the turkey baron, shows how difficult … Continued