While it is an ugly truth, sometimes there are members of a family that have done one thing or another that have earned themselves a place on the list of people clients do not want to benefit from their Will.
So, with consideration to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, how do we protect a testator’s wishes when excluding someone who might claim under this act?
While it may seem awfully simple, a Letter of Wishes (LoW) that is factual in its nature when explaining why an individual is being excluded will go a long way when it comes to protecting the estate from a claim. This isn’t to say any claim is precluded, nor that any claim will fail; but that the likelihood of a claim’s success might be diminished.
But a LoW in of itself is not simply enough, the reason the testator has for an exclusion ought to be based on sound reasoning and not one where their emotions are the only reason for the exclusion. The reason ought to be as factual as can be; though this isn’t to say the letter must be devoid of emotion, only that there should be a balance that the logical reasoning has been communicated with regard to how the testator feels about the situation.
While this does not seem to be a concrete protection against the estate, if there were such a defence, then the 1975 Act would be far less effective.
If you are thinking about a Will and want to exclude someone, talk to Asset Harbour on 01276 986333