Dinsdale v Fowell is a High Court case entangling bigamy, intestacy and modern family structures, examined in this week's NLJ by Shivi Rajput of Stowe Family Law
The court ruled that Margaret Dinsdale, whose 2017 Las Vegas marriage was void because her husband never divorced his first wife, could still be treated as a ‘spouse’ under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. Master Brightwell’s pragmatic ruling granted her £50,000 interim maintenance and recognised her good-faith marriage and financial dependence.
Rajput warns that the case highlights the costly fallout of informal separations and outdated wills. Her takeaway: always finalise divorces, update testamentary documents and document dependency. In an age of blended families, she concludes, romantic intentions are no substitute for formal legal steps.
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