Disputing a Will

Andrew Koffman
Head of Litigation

When Diego Maradona passed away in November 2020, speculation was rife in the press as to whether he had a valid Will and, if he did, whether it provided for all of his children with some newspapers reporting he had fathered eight children whereas others had the figure as high as 11!

While the Maradona situation is thankfully not commonplace, sorting out the estate of a loved one when they die can be a daunting task. If they had a Will in place that should make things easier but what if the Will doesn’t make adequate provision for all of the dependants or if you are concerned that the Will has not been interpreted correctly?

Would you know what to do if the people responsible for administering the estate were mismanaging the process or if there was a substantial disagreement between the people who were benefiting in the Will on its terms?

Things can get even more complicated if the person who died did not have a Will, or the Will they had was invalid.

Common problems such as unmarried partners not being provided for where there is no Will in place, challenges to Wills following pre-death agreements that were not included in the Will, an estranged spouse inheriting or confusion as to who should administer an estate where the deceased did not have a Will can often be difficult to resolve without the help of an experienced advisor.

When a dispute arises relating to a person’s estate there are a number of legal options open to deal with this. Seeking advice quickly is essential as some of these options have short time limits in which to bring a claim.

Our experienced team have advised on all different aspects of disputes including advising charities who have been left legacies that have been challenged, families on the provisions of a Will and in cases where there is no Will, dependents who have not been provided for and families who suspect the professional who has prepared the Will has been negligent.

Contact:

Andrew Koffman

t: 0161 827 4604

e: andrew.koffman@bermans.co.uk

w: Web Profile