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Ilot v Mitson and the danger of Inheritance Act claims
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Rebecca Harling Thomas Eggar LLPThe recent Family Division Court of Appeal case of
Ilot v Mitson [2015] EWCA Civ 797 has caused a stir in the world of inheritance act claims. It deals with a claim by Heather Ilot over the estate of her deceased mother Melita Jackson. The deceased left the majority of her net estate (£486 000) to three animal charities (RSPCA RSPB and the Blue Cross) and made no provision for Mrs Ilot her only daughter. Mrs Ilot contested the will under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. She was by this time a married mother of five in dire financial straits and almost completely reliant on state benefits. She had been estranged from her mother for over 30 years after eloping with a boyfriend at age 17.
At first instance the judge awarded Mrs Ilot £50 000 concluding that the deceased did not make reasonable financial provision for...
Read the full article here.
