Insights

Will disputes have long captured public attention, especially when they involve celebrities or high-profile individuals.

Intermeddling is a legal term that means a person has dealt with an estate to such an extent that they have assumed responsibility for it and cannot, therefore, simply "walk away" without the court's approval.

In my latest article, I explore the circumstances in which executors can be removed from their position under section 50 of the Administration of Justice Act 1985.

It can be disappointing to be left out of the will of a loved one if you thought you'd benefit from their estate on their death. In some very specific instances where there are appropriate legal grounds, it may be possible to contest the person's will.

If you think you have valid grounds to contest a will, but you are concerned that the grant of probate has already been obtained, then you must act quickly.

If you have been disinherited by your parent’s will, you may have legal recourse through the courts.

The Law Society has recently published an article regarding the increase in will disputes, attributing it, at least in part, to the rise in the number of "DIY wills".

Even if the process starts harmoniously, problems can arise that result in one or more of the beneficiaries having concerns about the suitability of the administrator or administrators.

Digital assets can be left in a will, gifted or inherited, like any other asset such as property and money.

Mrs Hasan tried to continue proceedings against his estate but this was denied on the basis that the court decided that its power to order financial relief after an overseas divorce can only be exercised as between living parties to a former marriage.

After a five-year legal squabble, a jury in Michigan recently ruled that the handwritten will dated 2014 was valid and should override a 2010 will that was discovered around the same time in a locked cabinet at Franklin’s home in suburban Detroit.

Unclaimed estates, classed as ‘ownerless property’, occur when there is no will – or the beneficiaries of the will cannot be traced - and the next family member, following the rules of intestacy, cannot be found.