Daughter successfully challenges late mother’s will, winning £164,000

A woman who eloped as a 17-year-old and was written out of her mother’s Will for her behaviour has successfully challenged the Will for being “unreasonable”.

Melita Jackson, who died in 2004, bequeathed her entire estate to three charities. Her daughter, Heather Ilott, challenged the Will in 2007 and was awarded £50,000 on the grounds that her mother had acted unreasonably.

In 2011, the court of appeal decided that this sum was insufficient.  This week’s ruling increased Ilott’s entitlement to £164,000.  The estate had been worth £500,000.

*     If you need expert legal advice on a Will or dispute an inheritance, contact a wills barrister