We review the latest case on ‘deathbed gifts’
A recent court case has once again raised the issue deathbed gifts. If you require guidance in relation to deathbed gifts then call our free legal helpline on 0333 888 0407 or send us an email.
Deathbed gifts allow valid gifts to be made on the death of an individual without having to comply with the usual legal formalities. To make a valid deathbed gift you must show that:
(i) the donor had contemplated their impending death at the time of making a Gift;
(ii) the donor made a gift which would only take effect if and when the contemplated death occurred, and which they could revoke at any time beforehand; and
(iii) the donor delivered the subject matter of the gift to the recipient (e.g. handing over the deeds to a property).
In the recent court case, the deceased (Ellen) passed away without leaving a will. She was survived by two brothers (Stephen and Frank) and the children of a third sibling who had pre-deceased her. All stood to benefit under the rules of intestacy. Stephen obtained a Grant of Letters of Administration and, four months later, he informed the other beneficiaries that Ellen had handed him the deeds and keys to her property following a heart attack, telling him that she wanted him and his wife to have her house. As the Personal Representative of the estate, Stephen then transferred the property into the names of himself and his wife, before renting it out.
The other beneficiaries then challenged the deathbed gift and there was some compelling evidence supporting them. First, it transpired that Stephen had told his own solicitors that Ellen wanted to make a will, largely benefiting him. His solicitors said an independent firm should be instructed, and when another solicitor saw Ellen, they were told in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want to make a will at all. Second, after the alleged expression by Ellen of her desire to give the property to Stephen and his wife, Stephen handed the deeds and keys to Ellen’s solicitors. That was considered to be contradictory behaviour if the intention was for them to have the house. Third, Ellen had not told anyone else about the gift and, over the course of the dispute, Stephen put forward at least three different versions of the events surrounding the making of the deathbed gift. Lastly, the heart attack in question had been relatively minor and not life-threatening.
Accordingly, it was considered highly doubtful that at the time of the gift being made, Ellen was contemplating her own impending death. Furthermore, as she recovered from the heart attack, the gift would have in any event lapsed.
The court dismissed Stephen’s claim that there had been a valid deathbed gift and ordered that:
(i) the Property be included in the Estate;
(ii) Stephen repay the rent he and his wife had received; and
(iii) the entire estate be distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy.