Even Peter Ustinov’s alter ego Hercule Poirot would not be able to solve the mystery of why the actor’s family is still fighting over his multi-million pound fortune – nine years after his death.
Ustinov (pictured) married three times, and had four children, but a will he wrote 36 years before he died has been ruled invalid by Swiss courts, and is now being tussled over by English lawyers. It is possible Ustinov’s entire estate will be spent on legal bills. But it is not just families of the rich and famous who will sue to collect an inheritance.
Court battles over wills have doubled in recent years, though many actions are settled before reaching a hearing. Defending an estate against a challenge is expensive – and all assets can end up being used to pay the lawyers. Often, all parties’ legal bills are taken from the pot of money being fought over. Sometimes only the pot is left.
One reason disputes over wills are more common is that relationships have become more convoluted, with family breakdowns occurring frequently. A spouse, cohabitee, or dependent who does not consider that reasonable provision has been made for them in a will can challenge it. Big money is at stake. The average estate has gone up from just over £150,000 ten years ago, to £265,000, but costs of litigation have also risen.
You can save many thousands of pounds by making sure your wishes are expressed properly in a will – and that entails obtaining sound advice from a specialist lawyer. If you anticipate there may be a family problem when a loved one dies, don’t try and deal with it yourself – seek legal help straight away.
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