header-logo header-logo

Success story? A case with far-reaching inheritance implications

22 March 2024 / Andrew Wilkinson
Issue: 8064 / Categories: Features , Profession , Wills & Probate , Family
printer mail-detail
164814
While we await the Supreme Court judgment in Hirachand v Hirachand, Andrew Wilkinson analyses the case and its implications on inheritance—for lawyers, families and the third sector
  • The case of Hirachand v Hirachand turns on the specific issue of the success fee. The final judgment could reshape the funding of inheritance disputes, with far-reaching repercussions.

On the 18 January 2024, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Hirachand v Hirachand, one of very few cases ever to be heard by the Supreme Court in relation to claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The decision, which we are still awaiting at the date of writing, is significant for a large number of cases and could lead to a broader change in the costs regime surrounding claims under the Act.

Hirachand v Hirachand has been years in the making, arising from a 2020 ruling in an inheritance dispute over the will of Navinchandra Hirachand between Nalini, his wife, and Sheila,

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DWF—19 appointments

DWF—19 appointments

Belfast team bolstered by three senior hires and 16 further appointments

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Cadwalader—Andro Atlaga

Firm strengthens leveraged finance team with London partner hire

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Knights—Ella Dodgson & Rebecca Laffan

Double hire marks launch of family team in Leeds

NEWS
Bea Rossetto of the National Pro Bono Centre makes the case for ‘General Practice Pro Bono’—using core legal skills to deliver life-changing support, without the need for niche expertise—in this week's NLJ
Small law firms want to embrace technology but feel lost in a maze of jargon, costs and compliance fears, writes Aisling O’Connell of the Solicitors Regulation Authority in this week's NLJ
Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Rylatt and Robyn Laye of Anthony Gold Solicitors examine recent international relocation cases where allegations of domestic abuse shaped outcomes
Charlie Mercer and Astrid Gillam of Stewarts crunch the numbers on civil fraud claims in the English courts, in this week's NLJ. New data shows civil fraud claims rising steadily since 2014, with the King’s Bench Division overtaking the Commercial Court as the forum of choice for lower-value disputes
Artificial intelligence may be revolutionising the law, but its misuse could wreck cases and careers, warns Clare Arthurs of Penningtons Manches Cooper in this week's NLJ
back-to-top-scroll