A court case has highlighted the value of a will in enabling the person making it the right to distribute their assets exactly as they wish.
The High Court case, reported in June, involved a challenge to the will of Helen Blofield by her granddaughter, Leigh Cowderoy. Mrs Blofield left her entire £150,000 estate to friend and former neighbour Lionel Cranfield, who had helped to care for her before she died in her 80s in 2008.
Mr Justice Morgan said that Mrs Blofield, from Colchester, “knew what she was doing”, adding: “She wanted to make a will so that Mrs Cowderoy would not inherit her estate on an intestacy.”
The court was told that Mrs Blofield’s son Richard, Mrs Cowderoy’s father, had died in 2006 and that Mrs Blofield and her granddaughter had not been close and rarely saw each other.
Andrew Wareham, an associate in Gregg Latchams’ Estate Planning & Tax department and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, said: “The circumstances in which we make a will are very personal to each of us.
“In some cases, the arrangements might seem unusual to outside observers but make perfect sense to the person who is making the will.
“What is important is that the will is drafted professionally and in a legally valid way, which is why it is advisable to work with a solicitor experienced in estate and inheritance tax planning. Doing so will also help to ensure that the will is as tax-efficient as possible.”
For more information, please contact the Estate Planning & Tax department.
