Defending an Inheritance Act claim: A real-life case study
David Lees, a solicitor specialising in inheritance disputes, has recently succeeded in defending an Inheritance Act claim, reaching an out of court settlement on highly favourable terms.
David was contacted by his client after a claim had been brought against his late father’s estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.
The son was both a beneficiary under his father’s Will, as well as his personal representative. The claim had been made by his late father’s partner on the basis that she was financially dependent upon him.
The estate had a value of around £320,000 and the claimant had already issued court proceedings against the estate when we were consulted.
Because of strict time limits associated with court proceedings we had to act quickly. David was successful in getting the court proceedings halted. This gave the parties time to review the claim and to consider whether a compromise could be reached.
We were ultimately able to negotiate an out of court settlement of the claim, with the partner receiving a sum of £16,000 from the estate; an outcome that was highly favourable to our client.
We specialise in inheritance disputes, so if you require guidance on defending an Inheritance Act claim then contact our team of experts for a free case assessment. We will be happy to review the evidence and provide you with a summary of your options. We will also consider funding arrangements, including No Win, No Fee.