h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When writting your will it is sometimes fun to dis-inherit people you have never met and are of no relation to you.
"And I specificly state that no part of my estate is to become the property of Arthur Smythe-Higginson of Croydon."
Or deny parental relationship to famous persons, particularly if they are older than you.
"Let me state catagoricaly for the record that I am not the father of Katherine Hepburn and she has no claim to this estate."

I LOVE that. I wonder if my lawyer would let me do that. It would be even better for me to state categorically that I am not the father of Katharine Hepburn - being a girl and all myself.

Ben

I don't know how your lawyer would feel about it (a sense of humor is not a common attribute amongst them) but I think your being female makes an even nicer touch.

Quality idea's, you could always try making your next of kin the proud owner of the most annoying family in your street (including the small print - they must all answer to the name Tubbly no matter how many of them there are)............

I had never thought about specifically disinheriting before, but I assume that if in the will, I take the trouble to specifically state, of say a close relative, let's say for the sake of argument a brother, something like:

"My Brother Mr. xxx yyy is in no way to benefit from this, my will, nor in any way from my estate, and if he be present here, it is my will that he must must also leave the room now, before any more of this will is read out. There is nothing more of interest to him in this will and any further details other than the fact he is not a beneficiary must not be revealed to him by any other in this room."

Would this statement all fully legal? Would he then have to leave?
Would he be able to get hold of a copy? (UK )

Dunno, dunno, and dunno. I is not a lawyer. However there is no reason why you shouldn't ask one about it.



Ben

I think you can only specifically disinherit people without a fight if there's a preexisting disagreement. You can't just decide to disinherit next of kin on a whim.