Taking shots from the grave

This entertaining blog post by BC lawyer Stan Rule talks about the 1933 case of Re Watts. I really like the decision that was handed down by the courts. Basically it upheld the will of a woman who left only $1 to her husband because of how he treated her, leading him to contest the will saying she was deluded. Real life is always stranger than fiction, so click here to read Mr. Rule's post about this odd case.

Controlling from the grave (some light reading)

We've all seen Wills in which the testator tries with varying degrees of success to control the behaviour of those left behind by using his/her Will. I've found several lately through my own research, all from the 1800s. For those of you who like oddball Will bequests and requests as much as I do... enjoy!

Nicholas Ash of Newfoundland, 1842, left the sum of 20 pounds a year for the support of his widow "as long as she shall remain in a state of widowhood and acting discreetly...but if she acts otherwise, the sum of one shilling."

William Andrews in 1844 spent pages detailing the gifts to his sons, but finished off his Will by saying that if "either or both of my sons should so far forget their duty as man and Christians as to give way to execessive drink" then they would forfeit the inheritance.

John Antle of Dorset, England, 1841, leaves money to someone he refers to as "my son or reputed son". 

Problematic sons were also an issue for John Alcock in 1898, as in his Will he said that since his two sons "left me without my consent", he was cutting them off with only a shilling each.

John Archer made a religious statement in 1868 by saying that if any of his children should "abjure the Protestant religion or become Roman Catholics" then they would forfeit their inheritance.

Richard Allen, 1894, left money for his son to maintain Richard's widow but said that if his son "disrespected her" she could have all the money herself.

My favourite by far of my latest batch is the Will of Patrick Stafford of Wexford, Ireland, who in his 1838 Will directed his "confidential friends"  to "punish any or either of my children as they would their own if they should become wayward or refractory".

Woman's will written on a piece of wood

We're used to seeing Wills written on paper, of course, but this story is about a woman who used the material she had at hand - a piece of wood. Any guesses on whether or not the court allowed it as a valid Will? Read this story from the Newark Advocate to find out. The photo attached by Michael Lehmkuhle of the Advocate, is of Bill Fisher of the probate court that dealt with the issue after the woman who wrote the Will died.

Who doesn't love wombats?

An American millionaire has left his estate to a Wombat Awareness Organization. Click here to read the story. I wouldn't call them the cutest animals on the planet, but I guess wombats deserve love too.

(image credit: Flickr user Shami Chatterjee)

Wills That Make You Go 'Hmm....'

We all know that a Will is meant to contain a person's last wishes with respect to his or her property. And some people have some pretty bizarre wishes. I've had plenty of conversations with people who have asked me to draw up Wills that prevent their son from marrying "that hussy", or to reward only beneficiaries who quit smoking, or to indulge in some name-calling that apparently they couldn't get away with in life. I love those files, and the feisty personalities that think of these things. They are part of what keeps my work so  darn interesting.

Apparently Rania Combs, a lawyer in Texas, shares my affection for "interesting" Wills. Click here to read her recent article about Wills That Make You Go 'Hmm..."  Enjoy!

The photo attached is also taken from that article on Ms. Combs' blog.