There isn’t much to like about being left with ‘not a lot’

Yesterday’s newspapers reported yet another bitter inheritance dispute between the child of a recently departed much-loved celebrity and their step-parent.  This time it’s the son of the late Paul Daniels, who is accusing his ‘false witch’ of a Stepmother, Debbie McGee, of withholding the inheritance that he thinks his father intended him to have.  However, without specific provision in his father’s Will, Paul Daniel’s Junior isn’t actually entitled to anything at all.  His father has left his entire estate to Debbie – his devoted second wife of 28 years.  Paul Junior insists that his father would have wanted Debbie to ‘do the right thing’ – which he believes includes keeping open the recently shutdown Paul Daniels Magic Party shop that he had been running.  However, Debbie (who has referred to Paul’s claims as ‘inaccurate’) has no legal obligation to give him anything at all.  This highlights, once again, the importance of making a Will that truly reflects your wishes.  Take advice from a specialist Solicitor so that your legacy can be dealt with without any ambiguity, and nothing can be misinterpreted by grieving relatives.  Solicitors specialising in this area of law will also be able to draft tailor made wills for those in a second marriage, to ensure that whatever they wish to pass to their own children from a previous marriage will do so, without giving rise to a tax liability on first death.  And if you’re not leaving anything to relatives that might be expecting a windfall, I would advise that you write a Letter of Wishes, explaining your reasons.  Otherwise you could be creating a tricky situation for all concerned that, unfortunately, cannot be resolved with the wave of a magic wand.