header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us

Two marriages & a funeral

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
24 October 2025 / Shivi Rajput
Issue: 8136 / Categories: Features , Family , Wills & Probate , Divorce
printer mail-detail
233189
Lessons to learn from a High Court case involving both bigamy & intestacy, by Shivi Rajput
  • In a preliminary ruling in Dinsdale v Fowell, the High Court has held that the deceased’s second wife should be treated as a spouse for the purposes of bringing a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, even though the deceased was still married to his first wife.
  • It serves as a reminder that divorce must be formalised, wills must be kept current, and estate planning must anticipate the complexities of modern family life.

The recent High Court case of Dinsdale v Fowell (PT-2024-000590) has highlighted profound and complex issues at the intersection of family law, inheritance and estate planning. At its heart lies a tragic and legally tangled scenario: James Dinsdale, an accountant and property development business owner, passed away from cancer in October 2020. He left behind two spouses, an adult son and an estate valued at approximately £1.8m with no valid will to govern its distribution.

Marriages & legal status

Mr Dinsdale married

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Muckle LLP—Stacey Brown

Corporate governance and company law specialist joins the team

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

Excello Law—Heather Horsewood & Darren Barwick

North west team expands with senior private client and property hires

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Ward Hadaway—Paul Wigham

Firm boosts corporate team in Newcastle to support high-growth technology businesses

NEWS
Read All
Legal notice: Notice under the Trustee Act 1925

NOTICE UNDER THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925

HERBERT SMITH STAFF PENSION SCHEME (THE “SCHEME”)

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND BENEFICIARIES UNDER SECTION 27 OF THE TRUSTEE ACT 1925
Emergency lawyers on call as international regulatory actions soar
Law firm HFW is offering clients lawyers on call for dawn raids, sanctions issues and other regulatory emergencies
NLJ this week: Employment law’s fine margins
From gender-critical speech to notice periods and incapability dismissals, employment law continues to turn on fine distinctions. In his latest employment law brief for NLJ, Ian Smith of Norwich Law School reviews a cluster of recent decisions, led by Bailey v Stonewall, where the Court of Appeal clarified the limits of third-party liability under the Equality Act
NLJ this week: Promises broken on non-molestation orders?
Non-molestation orders are meant to be the frontline defence against domestic abuse, yet their enforcement often falls short. Writing in NLJ this week, Jeni Kavanagh, Jessica Mortimer and Oliver Kavanagh analyse why the criminalisation of breach has failed to deliver consistent protection
NLJ this week: Assisted dying under the legal microscope
Assisted dying remains one of the most fraught fault lines in English law, where compassion and criminal liability sit uncomfortably close. Writing in NLJ this week, Julie Gowland and Barny Croft of Birketts examine how acts motivated by care—booking travel, completing paperwork, or offering emotional support—can still fall within the wide reach of the Suicide Act 1961
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll