Will contest — English style

Here are the interesting facts regarding a case involving the estate of Alice Adam as reported in Kiran Randhawa, Family win 16-year legal battle for £900,000 will, Evening Standard, Oct. 17, 2008:

• Alice Adam executed a will leaving her entire estate to her doctor, Bilyana Valkova, about one year before her death.
• Alice died in 1991.
• Alice’s family claimed the will was not witnessed properly.
• In 1998, the High Court ruled that will was valid.
• In 2005, the Court of Appeal overturned that decision.
• The court has now ruled that Alice lacked the capacity to execute a will as she was suffering from moderate to severe dementia.
• Thus, Alice’s estate will pass under a prior will written in 1978 to her brother’s family.