
"Documents tendered in court reveal that in the weeks before her death in April, Giuffre wrote a will and contacted her lawyer, Karrie Louden, to have it prepared. But she died on a small Western Australian farm, 80km north of Perth, before signing or having the document witnessed leaving the estate officially intestate. The existence of the unsigned will is now at the heart of competing claims with Giuffre's sons, Christian and Noah, fighting in court for control of the estate."
"Such instructions were preliminary instructions in contemplation of preparing a will, which was not prepared, the court document states. The deceased did not intend for such instructions to constitute her will. Louden and Myers' counterclaim argues the court should recognise verbal and written instructions they received as an informal will, which under WA law allows certain documents or notes to be validated as expressing a person's intentions for their estate."
"On 27 February 2025, the deceased created an informal will in writing, the defence counterclaim states. On 2 April 2025, the deceased provided verbal instructions to the first defendant (Louden), in the presence of the second defendant (Myers), to prepare a will to be executed in accordance with the Wills Act. I appoint Cheryl Myers and Karrie Louden as my executors and trustees, a document submitted by the defence reads."
An unsigned will has become central to a legal dispute over control of Giuffre's estate. Documents show Giuffre wrote a will and contacted lawyer Karrie Louden in the weeks before her April death, but she died at a small Western Australian farm before signing or witnessing the document, leaving the estate intestate. Her sons, Christian and Noah, contest documents submitted by Louden and former carer Cheryl Myers and say the instructions were preliminary and not meant as a will. Louden and Myers argue verbal and written instructions, dated 27 February and 2 April 2025, should be validated as an informal will under WA law. Ian Torrington Blatchford was appointed an interim administrator.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]