In the News: Woman Awarded Inheritance

A woman rejected by her mother in her will, who chose to leave her £486,000 estate to charities, has been awarded a £164,000 inheritance by the Court of Appeal.

In an article about the ruling, the BBC writes: “The court heard Mrs Ilott, 54, had eloped at the age of 17 with her boyfriend and, as a result, her mother had never forgiven her and did not want her to receive a penny of her estate. It was left to the RSPCA, RSPB and Blue Cross charities.”

A Drawn-Out Process

Mrs Ilott’s mother made her will in 2002, with a letter explaining why she had disinherited her daughter, and later died in 2004. In 2007 Mrs Ilott won the right to £50,000 of the estate after a district judge concluded she had been “unreasonably” excluded. However, that ruling was reversed before Appeal Court judges ruled that she was entitled to some of the money. In March 2014 upon appealing for a larger share, the £50,000 sum was deemed to be appropriate, however in the latest hearing this has been raised to £164,000. In the hearing Lady Justice Arden said that Mrs Ilott’s mother had been “unreasonable, capricious and harsh” and ruled she should receive a greater proportion of the estate.

What Does This Mean For Future Cases?

The ruling raises interesting questions regarding people’s right to leave money to who they wish. What do you think of the ruling? Get in touch if this is something you’d like to discuss further.

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