What to Do When Someone Dies Without a WillWhat to Do When Someone Dies Without a Will

About Me

What to Do When Someone Dies Without a Will

Hello, my name is Kerry. Last year my mother died suddenly. When we went through her papers, we discovered she didn't have a will. My mother had been married to another man before she met my father and I had a couple of step brothers. Unfortunately, they turned up on our doorstep and started to demand that we hand over my mother's life savings to them and their family. I contacted a lawyer who specialises in probate law. She talked me through my case and explained how we would defend it in court. Thankfully, the matter was resolved to my satisfaction and I could start to grieve for my mother. I decided to start this blog to help others who have a contested will on their hands.

In Separation Proceedings? Stay Away from Social Media

27 November 2018
 Categories: Law, Blog

Do you feel in a position of power whenever you log on to your social media account? Society is only beginning to understand the impact of this technology, and it has certainly changed the way that people behave when they interact with each other. After all, it is possible to "update" everyone with all your latest bad news, even though many people don't really want to hear it. This is where it can all become tricky, especially when emotions are high and tempers may be riled. If you're unfortunate enough to be going through a separation in your personal life and it's not going well, you need to avoid social media like Facebook and Twitter at all costs. What is at stake if you're not careful?

Human Nature?

Those emotions can be very raw in these situations, and you may feel that you want to lash out to let other people know how unreasonable your other half is. You may even be involved in the early stages of litigation to try and sort out all those assets, and you may have come across a stumbling block in your process. You can certainly let off some steam by posting or tweeting, but your comments won't be very helpful in the long run, especially if you attach images that are derogatory.

Legal Ramifications

If you are involved in legal proceedings, this type of activity can get you into some real trouble. You're not supposed to publicise anything that could be relevant to those proceedings, including information that may identify one of the parties. This may be especially problematic when it comes to images or videos as well.

Can't Hide

Of course, the other party may well be a friend or a follower (in social media terms) and will almost certainly get wind of your action. This could lead to some major issues for you, not the least of which could be a lawsuit claiming defamation. In fact, a judge could consider this to be contempt of court, which could lead to further trouble for you.

It's Still the Law

Remember, those social media sites are public portals, and whenever you post something you are 'publishing', as defined by the law. While these laws came into place decades ago and well before the social media revolution, they are nevertheless relevant.

What Next?

If you want further clarification on this situation or more information about what you can and cannot say online, ask a family law solicitor.