Stamp enthusiast gave £200,000 collection to cleaner in snub to children before death

HAYSIE

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/stamp-enthusiast-gave-200-000-181644718.html

Essexphil

These sorts of stories always amuse me.

Simple fact is that the starting point is that someone can leave their money to whoever they like. There are exceptions to this, for example when someone is financially dependant on the deceased

When you are advising someone to make a Will like this, it is always done this way. Standard legal advice is to:-

(1) Ensure you leave something to the relatives, to counter arguments that they were confused/forgot their kids, etc
(2) To check very carefully that this is a considered decision of the person making the will

Part of me hopes that the child or children have just as satisfying a relationship with their own kids as they did with their father

HAYSIE

Essexphil said:

These sorts of stories always amuse me.

Simple fact is that the starting point is that someone can leave their money to whoever they like. There are exceptions to this, for example when someone is financially dependant on the deceased

When you are advising someone to make a Will like this, it is always done this way. Standard legal advice is to:-

(1) Ensure you leave something to the relatives, to counter arguments that they were confused/forgot their kids, etc
(2) To check very carefully that this is a considered decision of the person making the will

Part of me hopes that the child or children have just as satisfying a relationship with their own kids as they did with their father

The lawyers will probably get most of it.
If the cleaner wins, will she be able to recover her legal costs?

Essexphil

The lawyers probably will.

Many years ago, I recall chatting to a young Contentious Probate Lawyer (that's the posh name for this field). We were discussing things we wish we could say to clients, but never could.

Hers was when clients challenging wills say "it's not about the money" was to be able to reply "OK. Get out of my office you liar".

The very idea that some child claiming that they had a close relationship with their stepfather because they sometimes saw him at Christmas made my blood boil. Also perfectly clear that, when he was ill in Hospital, his kids/stepkids were not there.

HAYSIE

Essexphil said:

The lawyers probably will.

Many years ago, I recall chatting to a young Contentious Probate Lawyer (that's the posh name for this field). We were discussing things we wish we could say to clients, but never could.

Hers was when clients challenging wills say "it's not about the money" was to be able to reply "OK. Get out of my office you liar".

The very idea that some child claiming that they had a close relationship with their stepfather because they sometimes saw him at Christmas made my blood boil. Also perfectly clear that, when he was ill in Hospital, his kids/stepkids were not there.

The fact that his kids arent disputing it says a lot.
The fact that some are supporting the cleaner says a lot more.