Stepdaughter’s inheritance claim
Case study of a stepdaughter’s inheritance claim against her stepfather’s estate. For further guidance on making an inheritance claim as a stepchild on a no win, no fee basis call us on 0333 888 0407 or send us an email.
We recently represented a woman who made a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 against the estate of her stepfather on the basis that she had been treated by him as his own child.
He had adopted the role of our client’s stepfather and continued to treat her as his stepdaughter even when his relationship with her mother had come to an end.
When he died the bulk of his estate passed to his current partner. His partner refused to acknowledge that our client should receive any additional financial provision and robustly defended the stepdaughter’s inheritance claim.
The deceased’s partner said that he never assumed responsibility for our client as if she were his child and that any contact between them was infrequent and historical.
As a settlement could not be negotiated we issued court proceedings. This was on the basis that although our client was not the deceased’s natural child she was nevertheless entitled to financial provision as his stepdaugther.
Having commenced court proceedings, the deceased’s partner decided to change her approach and acknowledged the merit of the stepdaughter’s legitimate legal claim. An out of court settlement was subsequently reached, with our client receiving a substantial sum, together with payment of her legal costs.
Inheritance claims are often made by stepchildren. If you find yourself in this position and require guidance on making a claim against the estate of your stepfather or stepmother then please call our free helpline on 0333 888 0407 or alternatively send an email with brief details of your case to us at [email protected]