Shocking Will Dispute Cases

Perhaps the most famous modern estate battle, this dispute began when 89-year-old oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II married 26-year-old Anna Nicole Smith. Following his death in 1995, Smith challenged the will, which left her nothing of his $1.6 billion fortune. The case reached the US Supreme Court twice and spanned decades of litigation involving claims of fraud and promised inheritance.

Known as the "Queen of Mean," real estate mogul Leona Helmsley shocked her family in 2007 by leaving a $12 million trust fund for her dog, Trouble, while completely disinheriting two of her four grandchildren. The grandchildren challenged the will on the grounds that Helmsley lacked the mental capacity to draft it. A judge eventually reduced the dog's inheritance to $2 million and awarded $6 million to the disinherited grandchildren.

Once Asia’s richest woman, Nina Wang left behind a £2.6 billion estate in 2007. Her partner, Peter Chan, claimed he was the sole beneficiary based on a later will. However, the court ruled the document was a forgery. Chan was ultimately sentenced to 12 years in prison, and the entire estate was awarded to Wang’s charitable foundation.

The "Godfather of Soul" died in 2006, sparking a 15-year legal battle. Although his Will intended most of his $100 million estate to go to a charitable trust for underprivileged children, his wife and children contested the document. After over a decade of litigation, a settlement was finally reached in 2021.

Following his death in 2016, the pop icon’s £97 million estate was contested by his former long-term partners, Kenny Goss and Fadi Fawaz, after they were excluded from his Will. Goss sued for "reasonable financial provision" under the Inheritance Act 1975, arguing he was financially dependent on Michael. A confidential settlement was eventually reached in 2021.

The estate of the civil rights leader has been the subject of multiple disputes among his children, Bernice, Martin III, and the late Dexter King. Notorious challenges included accusations of wrongful appropriation of funds and a 2014 legal battle over the ownership of Dr. King’s travelling Bible and Nobel Peace Prize medal.

Because Hendrix died in 1970 without a Will, his $80 million estate became the subject of a 30-year legal battle. The conflict pitted his half-brother, Leon, against his adopted sister, Janie. Leon challenged their father’s Will (which controlled the musician's legacy), claiming Janie had exerted undue influence to have him excluded.

The estate of Oscar-winning actor Sir Peter Ustinov faced a multinational legal saga after he died in 2004. He had written a will in pencil 36 years prior, which a Swiss court ruled invalid due to his subsequent marriage. This led to a "tussle" between his widow and children over competing trusts, reportedly leaving the estate nearly bankrupt from legal fees.

A landmark UK case, this dispute involved Melita Jackson, who left her £486,000 estate entirely to animal charities, explicitly disinheriting her estranged daughter, Heather Ilott. Ilott challenged the Will under the Inheritance Act 1975, claiming she had been left without reasonable provision. The case went to the Supreme Court, which eventually awarded Ilott a portion of the estate despite her mother’s wishes.

In the 2022 case of Reeves v Drew, the £100 million estate of property tycoon Kevin Reeves was overturned. His 2014 Will, which left 80% of his fortune to his daughter Louise and nearly disinherited his other children, was challenged on the grounds that he did not "know and approve" its contents. The court found the daughter's account "implausible" and reinstated a previous, more equal Will.