While we await the Supreme Court judgment in Hirachand v Hirachand, Andrew Wilkinson analyses the case and its implications on inheritance—for lawyers, families and the third sector
- The case of Hirachand v Hirachand turns on the specific issue of the success fee. The final judgment could reshape the funding of inheritance disputes, with far-reaching repercussions.
On the 18 January 2024, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Hirachand v Hirachand, one of very few cases ever to be heard by the Supreme Court in relation to claims under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The decision, which we are still awaiting at the date of writing, is significant for a large number of cases and could lead to a broader change in the costs regime surrounding claims under the Act.
Hirachand v Hirachand has been years in the making, arising from a 2020 ruling in an inheritance dispute over the will of Navinchandra Hirachand between Nalini, his wife, and Sheila, their daughter. Nalini had been named as the sole beneficiary
