Lawyer facing two years in prison
A lawyer from Whitstable, Kent in the UK is facing possible jail time after a lengthy estate dispute with his sister. The full story is found here.
The dispute is related to the estate of Mr. Leonard Supple. Mr. Supple was an entrepreneur and a businessmen involved in various companies. Among these companies was a taxi business which he established by the time he was 19 years old. At the time of his death in 2004 the estate was estimated by various sources to be worth £18 million.
A dispute immediately arose between his children Stephen Supple, a lawyer, and Lynda Supple. A will was found granting most of the estate to Lynda. A trial was held, and this will was set aside in 2007 as it was deemed a forgery. Additionally, Stephen apparently made allegations that Lynda was actually not his half-sister. Stephen was then made administrator of the estate. Nonetheless, nearly 10 years later the estate has still not been administered.
Stephen has also allegedly failed to produce key financial documentation related to the assets of the estate. He did not produce the documents despite being ordered to do so nearly a year ago.
Finding of contempt could lead to arrest
Recently, Lynda appeared before a High Court seeking to have Stephen jailed. He did not show up to the hearing. As a result, Stephen was found in contempt. He could be arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.
The above scenario illustrates how emotionally charged and difficult some estate disputes become. The lawyer in the above scenario appears to have ignored a Court order to produce documentation. The original story confirms that he never denied having the documentation. It appears he was hoping that the application by his half-sister would go away if ignored.
What is particularly bizarre is that as a lawyer, Stephen chose not to appear at a Court hearing pertaining to this matter. He ought to have known that he would likely face a contempt Order. It appears that this dispute is particularly acrimonious as some of the parties appear to be acting irrationally. Stay tuned for more on this matter.
More on this story here.