How to claim your inheritance when there is no will
For guidance on claiming your inheritance when there is no will, contact our free legal helpline on 0333 888 0407 or send an email to us at [email protected]
This summary of a real-life case that our specialist lawyers recently dealt with provides helpful information about claiming your inheritance when there is no will.
We represented Ms. C in relation to the estate of her late partner who died in France. Unfortunately he died without making a will; or at least no will could be found. He left an estate that was approaching one million pounds in value, but because there was no will it had to be administered under the English intestacy rules. The intestacy rules regulate how an estate should be distributed where the deceased dies without making a will. Although the rules are designed to be fair, they do sometimes result is unfairness, which is what occurred in this case.
Because our client’s partner had never got divorced after his marriage failed many years previously, his estranged wife along with his son became entitled to inherit his estate. Our client was not entitled to receive anything under the intestacy rules, despite being his partner for some 13 years. Ms. C was essentially left with nothing.
Ms. C contacted our dedicated helpline for a free case assessment. Our specialist lawyers felt that the outcome of the intestacy rules in this case was grossly unfair, and that financial provision should be provided to Ms. C. We therefore agreed make a claim for reasonable financial provision from her late partner’s estate under the Inheritance Act as a dependant and cohabitee.
Because we were willing to work on a No Win – No Fee basis Ms. C did not need to fund her legal costs
After the claim was submitted we successfully negotiated a six-figure settlement for our client, and in addition recovered her legal costs. This enabled Ms. C to find accommodation in the that part of France which she and her late partner had loved.