As many of you will be aware the legendary Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin passed away recently. You may be surprised to learn that although she was very wealthy (some reports say her wealth amounted to more than 80 million dollars) she had not in fact made a Will even though she had been battling pancreatic cancer for more than 8 years.
It is perhaps even more surprising that she didn’t make a Will as she had 4 children all from different relationships and although their relationship was described as “on/off” she had had a lengthy relationship with who is considering putting in a claim against her estate. It also appears that some of her children feel her partner should receive something from her estate and some feel he is not entitled to anything.
Whilst most of us will not be in such a complicated situation even though most of us don’t like thinking about not being around in the future it is still worth considering making a Will to try to avoid any disputes between family members in the future.
In England and Wales it is possible for the partner of someone who has passed away to make a claim under the Inheritance and Provision for Family and Dependants Act 1975 if they have not received an inheritance from their partner. A court would make a decision based on all the circumstances of the various people involved including their financial circumstances and the length of the relationship.
Here at Dodds solicitors we can help you with either making a Will or making an Inheritance Act Claim.
Please contact Samantha Downs on 0116 2628 596 or at samantha.downs@dodds-solicitors.co.uk
To talk about making a Will or Sarah Spence on 0116 2628 596 or at sarah.spence@dodds-solicitors.co.uk to discuss making a claim.