Lover Awarded £1m from Estate

The long-term lover of a man who had promised to marry her but died before they could wed has received more than £1m from his £3m estate.

Multimillionaire Henry Bahouse and former dental nurse Cyd Negus had a ‘flamboyant lifestyle’ before he committed suicide in 2005. His will made no provision for 50-year-old Ms Negus, who therefore claimed for financial provision to be made for her from his estate.

Mr Bahouse’s family contested the claim, arguing that Ms Negus had already received the proceeds of a life assurance policy, taken out by Mr Bahouse for her benefit, and a half share in a Spanish property. Together, these were worth in excess of £600,000. According to Ms Negus, she and Mr Bahouse were intending to get married and even hoped to start a family.

According to Mr Bahouse’s family, the couple were on the verge of breaking up and Mr Bahouse had no intention of marrying Ms Negus.

In the view of Deputy High Court Judge Roger Kaye QC, Ms Negus had become a housewife ‘in all but name’ and had a reasonable basis for believing that her future financial needs would be met by Mr Bahouse. There had been no diminution in the couple’s love for one another. He awarded Ms Negus the ownership of the flat she had shared with Mr Bahouse (valued at approximately £400,000) and a lump sum of £240,000. The balance of the estate, worth about £2m, went to Mr Bahouse’s family – mainly to his son Gordon. The court action cost the Bahouse family approximately £100,000 in legal costs.

Says Rupinder Bains, “If a person has been supported financially by another, under some circumstances a claim can be made on the estate after the death of the person providing the financial support. In such cases, the court, not the will of the deceased, determines how the estate is to be divided. If you have been financially reliant on another person who has died and have not been made a beneficiary under their will, you may be entitled to make a claim on the estate. Contact us for advice.”

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Bahouse v Negus
Daily Telegraph, 24 October 2007

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