A share of the silver spoon

It is not unusual for clients to be anxious about whether their spouse will be able to claim a share of any inheritance. Whether or not a non-inheriting party may expect to benefit from an inherited asset will be considered in three specific stages, depending upon when the inheritance was received namely:

• prior to the marriage;
• during the marriage; and
• post-separation/ divorce.

Statutory framework

Unfortunately, s 25 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 (MCA 1973) does not refer to inheritances. Inheritances are, however, relevant and are considered by the court under s 25(2)(a) as “financial resources which each of the parties has or is likely to have in the foreseeable future”. In the writer’s experience, “has” is not such a problem. At least one can generally quantify the inheritance. However, “likely to have in the foreseeable future” is where the problems really start.

The starting point is the case of White v White