Will beneficiary queries husband's wishes

A would-be will beneficiary has queried her husband's wishes, after he died leaving all his assets to a charity, with no provision for his wife.

The Financial Times reports Britons can make a will naming anyone to inherit their residual estate and interested parties normally do not have the right to challenge this, unless the will-writing process was not properly observed.

However, spouses are allowed to query a testament if it does not adequately provide for them, even where couples were living separately or going through a divorce before one party passed away.

A will beneficiary who has been ignored could request a court examines their case to decide whether they should receive more, with factors such as the length of the marriage and the age of the individual taken into consideration.

Making a will to name a non-dom spouse may be subject to limits on the amount that can be transferred tax free, so individuals might wish to seek will-writing advice if they are married to a non-UK citizen.