Family members are often surprised to learn the contents of the will left by a deceased relative. Wills and inheritance have been in the public eye recently, with a number of high profile cases coming before the courts. Most recently, in the UK, a £10m will was upheld after being challenged by relatives who were furious that the majority of the estate had been left to the owners of a Chinese restaurant.
Sometimes there is genuine cause for concern - for example if an elderly individual has left everything to a recent acquaintance. Such a scenario is particularly worrying if there is a pattern of earlier wills which benefited the family.
In other situations, the testator has made a rational decision that the family are well established financially, and that he or she would prefer, for example, to leave the estate to charity.
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Many people underestimate the difficulty of challenging a will and there is widespread misconception that a will can be challenged simply because it is ‘unfair'. However, even if the will itself cannot be challenged, there are a number of avenues that can be pursued to right any wrongs. Our international team has considerable experience with these situations and provides the sensitive but decisive advice required, sometimes in emotionally charged circumstances.
Our clients are based in the US, UK and throughout offshore jurisdictions. They include significant financial institutions, charities, offshore trustees and beneficiaries, and high net worth individuals.
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Paul Hewitt
DD: +44 (0)20 7597 6197
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Jeremy A. Mellitz
DD: +1 203 974 0320