WILLS AND INHERITANCE DISPUTES

NO WIN NO FEE

Contact us for FREE consultation

office@citylawyers.net.au

(02) 9844 5437

INHERITANCE DISPUTES IN NSW

If you feel you have been treated unfairly in a will, you might be able to challenge it in court.
To successfully contest a will, we strongly recommend employing experienced probate lawyers, who will be able to explain how the law works in NSW.
At City Lawyers and Consultants, we have a strong track record of successfully challenging wills on behalf of our clients on NO WIN NO FEE basis.

INHERITANCE DISPUTES

Inheritance disputes between family members occur very often. The disagreement between a parent and an adult child could result in an unfair will and in a family member disinheriting his/her own child in a will (for example). The main asset is generally the house and it is around the house that the majority inheritance disputes are likely to happen. Contact CITY LAWYERS AND CONSULTANTS for a FREE consultation about whether you might have a claim (called family provision claim) on the deceased estate. CITY LAWYERS AND CONSULTANTS work on NO WIN, NO FEE basis in inheritance disputes claims.

TIME LIMITS

In NSW there is a time limit for contesting a will. If the deceased died after 1 March 2009, a family provision claim must be commenced within 12 months from the date of death. If an application for family provision is made more than 12 months after the date of death, you will need to show the court that you have 'sufficient cause'. The Court has discretion to grant an extension of time if you can show that there is sufficient cause for making a late application. You must provide the court with 'sufficient justification or excuse' or 'sufficient explanation'.

CONTESTING WILLS

You can contest a valid Will if you receive inadequate provision. If the Court finds in your favour it can either vary the provisions or order the redistribution of the Estate. You may also contest the Will if the person died without making a Will at all. A person who dies without a Will is said to have died "intestate". A Will can also be contested if it is found to be invalid. To test the validity of the Will you must mount a 'challenge' to the Will. You are not required to pay any fees upfront. Our fees are only payable if an agreement is reached between the parties or if there is a Court order. Your fees will be paid out of the estate.

CHALLENGING WILLS

In some circumstances, it is possible to challenge the VALIDITY OF THE WILL itself. The Validity of the Will could be challenged, for instance, on the basis of: UNDUE INFLUENCE, lack of MENTAL CAPACITY (testamentary capacity), FRAUD or FORGERY. It is possible to challenge the VALIDITY OF THE WILL before or after a grant of Probate. But it is very difficult to challenge the VALIDITY OF THE WILL after the distribution of the Estate. Generally, only some interested persons would be entitled to challenge the Validity of the Will, for example: Potential Beneficiaries, ie persons who would be entitled to the estate if there was NO WILL (that is persons entitled under INTESTACY); or Beneficiaries named in the CURRENT OR PREVIOUS WILL.

WHO CAN CONTEST A WILL

In NSW, you may Contest a Will if you are: a spouse of the deceased person at the time of their death; a person with whom the deceased person was living in a de facto relationship at the time of their death (that includes same sex partners); a child of the deceased person; a former spouse of the deceased person; a person who was wholly or partly dependent on the deceased person for a period of time and at any time a member of the same household; or a grandchild who was wholly or partly dependent for a period of time on the deceased person with whom the deceased was living in a close personal relationship.

DEFENDING A CONTESTED WILL

It is important to note that if the Estate is small (under $500,000), it would be advisable to reach an agreement early to minimise dissipation of the estate's assets legal costs and disbursements (which include the Court fees). If there are several siblings who wish to make Family Provision claims, in some circumstances, costs could be minimised if all are represented by one law firm. However, sometimes it is not possible as there may be competing claims on the same Estate. The `interested person` who challenges a will is often a beneficiary under a previous Will or a current Will. The Executor or Administrator has to prove that the will is valid.

user

"I had a big family problem because of the unfair will that my dad left. City Lawyers and Consultants were there for me all the way dealing with family provision claim against the estate. I could call and email even after hours and I always got a response from my lawyer. I was suprised how speedy and professionally my claim was resolved. I Thank You for what you have done for me."

Pauline D., Inheritance Dispute
user

"I had a very positive experience with your firm and thanks to Lana and Vincent who completed my claim against my mother's estate who did not leave me a cent in a will in 2017 when she died. I would like to especially thank Lana. She has a perfect mix of professionalism and empathy plus an exceptional personal dedication to her clients to bring about the best outcome. She made me feel secure and confident and that is at the time when my own family let me down big time! She is positive, knows her stuff and tells things how they are, which is exactly what I needed. She is such a good listener! I appreciate what you have done for me!"

Alex R., Unfair Will/Contesting Will
user

"I had a very emotional for me claim against a doctor. I felt that my lawyer cares. I want to Thank you so much for getting an excellent outcome! Thanks!"

Chris A., Medical Negligence Claim against a Doctor
user

"I want to show my appreciation for your hard work and diligence in dealing with my complicated medical negligence claim where the hospital treatment caused me so many medical problems. I am happy that the case is now over. I was so happy when Lana came to me in hospital and made herself available on weekends to discuss my claim. I thank you for being so caring and supportive through the whole ordeal."

Vivien M., Medical Negligence Claim against Hospital