Family feuds over inheritance reach record levels due to rising cost of living pressures

Family feuds over inheritance soared to record levels in the final quarter of last year. But the multimillion-pound struggles depicted so brutally in TV drama Succession may not behind the trend. Instead, it appears the rise has been partly attributed to more people struggling with the cost of living.

The latest figures showed there were 3,061 applications to block probate in England and Wales in the final three months of 2024. This was the first time there has been more than 3,000 bids in a single quarter, according to analysis of official data by law firm Taylor Rose.

These applications were to enter a "caveat" with the Probate Registry - the mechanism by which people can stop the granting of probate, which allows a deceased person's estate to
be administered.

Legal experts say this upward trend is likely to keep rising, driven by longer life expectancy and an increase in mental capacity issues. The higher cost of living resulting in people relying on inheritance for pensions as they cannot afford to save for their future was also key.

More people remarrying in later life and the consequences of poorly drafted DIY wills were also cited as reasons for the rise. The data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from HM Courts & Tribunals Service, revealed there were 11,362 applications to block probate in 2024, compared to 7,268 applications in 2019 - a 56% increase - and 6,358 in 2010, a 79% rise.

With the Probate Registry also recording 2,879 applications in the third quarter of 2024, it has seen the highest-ever number of applications in the last two consecutive quarters of available data. The number of applications in the second half of last year is 74% higher than in the corresponding period of five years earlier.

Wendy Rixon, joint head of wills, trusts and probate disputes at Taylor Rose, said: "Fallouts among families over inheritance are hugely emotional and stressful but they are becoming more common.

"Many people have become more dependent on inheritance, particularly those who have found it unaffordable to get on to the property ladder, for example, and whose parents or grandparents have amassed much greater wealth by comparison.

"It is also the case that increasingly complex and diverse family situations, as well as complications brought about by mental capacity issues, have contributed to more frequent challenges."