Inheritance After Suicide

[cecil39]

I heard this being discussed recently, that if a person commits suicide no one can inherit their estate, but it goes to the government instead, I don't believe it, but am puzzled as to why some folk do, has it ever been he case?

[Barmaid]

No it is not the case. The estate will either pass under the person's Will or if no Will the intestacy rules.

I am not sure if it has ever been the case though. (Although I doubt it).

[joggerjayne]

I don't think it has ever been the case.

[hc4361]

Yes, that certainly was the case in the UK. Suicide was illegal until 1961and the suicide's assets were claimed by the Crown before 1822.

[hc4361]

"But punishment did not end with death. The deceased's family were stripped of their belongings and they were handed to the Crown. "The suicide of an adult male could reduce his survivors to pauperism,....."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14374296

[joggerjayne]

Crikey.

Imagine the disputes over whether or not someone had committed suicide.

[hc4361]

I imagine there are similar disputes now, jj.
A wife who murdered her husband by dosing his porridge would not only go to jail but would not be able to inherit his estate.
If she could prove it were suicide, however, she'd be sitting pretty in her widow's weeds.

[joggerjayne]

I suppose so.

[Wharton]

The bitch!!

[FredPuli43]

Nonsense. If they have made a will, their property passes under that, if not then under the rules of intestacy. A person who murders them, as Jeremy Bamber did his parents, is debarred from inheriting.

[sandyRoe]

There was a case reported just the other day of a young woman who had killed her mother while suffering a bout of mental illness. Would she not inherit?

[woofgang]

Sandy I think that depends on the verdict of the court. If murder pure and simple,then no she wouldn't inherit (you can't legally benefit from your crime) but not sure if a lesser charge proved.

[Barmaid]

The Court does have a discretion in certain circumstances to give relief from the Forfeiture Rule but there isnt much case law on it.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1982/34/contents

[cecil39]

Very interesting, so that's why my Mother used to say a person who killed themselves were selfish, I remember hearing her saying it and thinking It an odd thing to say, so glad the law has changed. (no I'm not considering it, I just wondered)

[Peter Pedant]

.

Barmain v sensibly did another option rather than legal history. summit useful like fiscal law.
Suicide or the abominable crime of self-murder used to be a felony at common law I think.

No christian burial and there was a custom of burying at a cross roads with a stake thro the heart !

and then and then - the then prime minister Lord Londonderry who was always knows as Viscount Castlereagh even after his Dad died got extremely depressed in front of people who had a good idea what was going on -
C confessed to crimes he couldnt have done (yes as prime m)
and altho he was watched ( a sudduv Georgian suicide watch )
managed to slash his own throat with his erm cut throat....
His last words - as he drenched his manservant with his
blood were - It is done !

[ This type of scene was extremely well done by Bruce Willis toward the end of Sixth Sense (I see dead people) when he shoots himself and onlookers react with inevitability rather than surprised shock ]

and so and so - instead of a state funeral oops - burial at the cross roads

Altho the coroner found against suicide - the law was changed soon after.

I can't remember if murderers had their estates confiscated in ancient times - did they ?

[Peter Pedant]

oops forfeiture rule

clearly I concentrated more on Legal History than Smith and Hogan.....

[sandyRoe]

Then there was the NI MP who, mired in debt, took his shotgun for a walk. The inevitable happened, but whatever insurance policies he had were secured when a coroners court decided that his death had been accidental.

[Peter Pedant]

.

A good source of social conditions in London in 1822 are Princesse Lieven's (Russian) letters to Prince Metternich (Austrian)
whether or not she would be nowadays be accused of spying.

For chrissakes, I am retired - I have nothing better to do......

[Peter Pedant]

Insurance policies -
unless suicide is excluded -
pay up dont they ?

[boxtops]

Cecil, I'd agree with your mother's view about selfishness - sadly, people who commit suicide don't think of the pain it causes those left behind, never mind any material implications.

[Peter Pedant]

.

Judge McCardie shot himself in 1922 or thereabouts
over gambling debts

and their Lordships went hem hem
put their wigs back on and
returned to banging their gavels and screaming guilt guilty guilty !