Shayne Ward’s character, Aidan Connor, committed suicide recently in Coronation Street and it seems that his death is set to cause a legal battle over his Will. The Will is set to omit his family, instead leaving his company to his business partner.
There are several ways in which a Will may be challenged and it is not yet clear from the information released which avenue the Connors are going to pursue. It may be that they try to argue the Will is not valid for any of the following reasons:
- The Will does not comply with the formalities
- Aidan lacked mental capacity at the time the Will was prepared
- Aidan did not understand and approve the Will
- The Will was forged or
- Someone exerted undue influence over Aidan
Other options that the Connors may pursue are claims for reasonable financial provision in certain circumstances.
There are so many options and it will be interesting to see how the case progresses over the coming months. The fact that this storyline is being explored by such a popular soap demonstrates that cases of this nature are becoming increasingly common.
If you think you may want to challenge an estate, it is important that you seek specialist legal advice as soon as possible. The time limit for certain claims challenging the terms of a Will is very short, and whilst the loss of a loved one is always difficult, it is important to move quickly otherwise you could miss out if you wait too long.
For a fixed fee of £150, you can have a 30-minute appointment with a specialist, either on the telephone, or face to face, depending on your preference. We will take some brief details from you before the appointment, and we will then discuss your case with you, and what your options are. Call us on 01616 966 229 and if your case is something we can assist you with then further funding options can be discussed.
By Rachael Williams, trainee solicitor in the dispute resolution team
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