Widow wins right to share of husband's £1m-plus estate

The High Court heard that Mr Singh "wished to leave his estate solely down the male line"

An 83-year-old widow who was left out of her late husband's will has won the right to get a share of his estate, which is worth more than £1m.

The High Court heard Karnail Singh left everything to his two sons and nothing to widow Harbans Kaur, his wife of 66 years, or his four daughters.

The court ruled she should get 50% of the net value of Mr Singh's estate.

The West Midlands woman's lawyer, Jessika Bhatti, said it could open the door for others in a similar position.

High Court judge Mr Justice Peel was told Mr Singh, who died in 2021, "wished to leave his estate solely down the male line".

But Ms Bhatti argued it was clear "reasonable provision" had not been made for Mrs Kaur, whose income consisted of state benefits of about £12,000.

She said there was "no conceivable argument" that financial provision should not have been made for her client.

'Vulnerable individuals'

She told the PA News agency: "I feel privileged to be a part of an injustice made right.

"My client's age, ill health and acute financial needs were the driving force behind this case, and it is with great honour that our legal system was able to overturn an injustice."

Ms Bhatti said she believed the case would set a precedent that would allow the "most vulnerable individuals" to seek justice without having to endure "the unpleasantries of a trial".

The court heard that Mrs Kaur estimated the estate, built on her late husband's clothing business, to be worth £1.9m gross, but that one of her sons put the value at £1.2m.

Mr Justice Peel outlined detail of his decision in a written ruling and said it was clear that "reasonable provision" had not been made for Mrs Kaur.