Do You Need a New Will After Divorce?  – Navigating Consent Orders and Protecting Inheritance

Preparing a Will after a divorce can raise complex questions, especially when a previous Consent Order may still have implications for future inheritance decisions. This case story highlights how Bridger’s Law helped a client understand how her divorce settlement affected her estate planning and supported her in protecting her children’s inheritance.

Background – What the Case Involved

Bridger’s Law was contacted by a client who needed clarity and reassurance around preparing a new Will following her divorce. She was concerned about the impact of an existing financial Consent Order and wanted to ensure her former spouse could not make any further financial claims against her estate.

When Bridger’s Law Became Involved

After approaching us for guidance, the client sought a clear explanation of the legal effect of her Consent Order and advice on how best to safeguard her children’s inheritance. She wanted to fully understand whether her former husband still had any potential financial claim and how to structure her Will accordingly.

Our Approach

We invited the client in for a detailed meeting to discuss her concerns, review the Consent Order and her existing legal documents and to ensure we fully understood her wishes.

Following a thorough review of the existing title deeds and supporting documents, we were able to confirm that her former spouse could make no further claim against her estate. With that reassurance in place, we drafted a Will that accurately reflected her intentions, supported by a Letter of Wishes explaining the background of the Consent Order – information her executors may need when administering the estate.

Challenges

The main challenge was the client’s understandable uncertainty. Despite having a Consent Order in place, she was unsure how it interacted with a Will and feared her former spouse might still have a claim on her estate.

How Bridger’s law Helped Overcome These Challenges

We broke the process into clear, manageable stages. By reviewing each clause of the Consent Order and explaining its effects in plain English, the client gained a full understanding of her position. Connecting the legal documents with her estate-planning intentions allowed her to make confident, informed decisions about her Will and the protection of her children’s inheritance.

Client Testimonial

“I had what I thought was a complicated will requirement, they broke it down into small bite-size pieces which was less overwhelming, Super friendly, super-efficient and value for money”.

Looking for More Guidance on Wills and Estate Planning?

If you’re navigating changes after a divorce or simply want to ensure your wishes are clearly protected, you may find these helpful:

• A Guide to Making a Will – a clear guide on the steps involved and what to consider.
• What Happens If You Die Without a Will? – Understanding the rules of intestacy and why having a Will matters.

You can also explore more of our case stories to see how we have supported clients with their estate-planning needs.