Reported Contents Of Late Fashion Designer’s Will Disclosed

The late fashion designer L’Wren Scott has left her entire estate to her long-term partner Mick Jagger, it has been confirmed.

Reports in the New York Post have revealed that the 49-year-old designer, who passed away in the middle of March, had chosen to leave all of her $9 million (£5.5 million) estate to the Rolling Stones frontman.

It is thought that the estate comprises of her Manhattan apartment and a reported $1 million in other valuables and is thought to have stated that her family should not receive anything.

Ms Scott, who was originally from Utah and was behind the LS Fashion label, met Jagger in 2001.

Expert Opinion

Whilst many may argue that a wealthy individual may not need another $9 million, this situation underlines an important issue regarding unmarried partners and succession law. <br/> <br/>"The choice of an unmarried person to leave a Will providing for their partner can often prevent long and costly legal disputes. If L’Wren Scott had not made a Will, all of her estate would probably have passed to her siblings, whether or not this is what she wanted. By making a Will she ensured that her property passed to her partner of over a decade. <br/> <br/>"On rare occasions partners are left out of Wills – or a Will is not made – due to a specific agreement between the parties to keep their property separate. However, an alarming number of unmarried partners that we have advised are left unprovided for through a failure to plan for the worst or due to the deceit of one of the parties. <br/> <br/>"In the UK, where someone is not provided for under a Will, they may be able to make a claim against the estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975. A high proportion of these claims are brought by cohabiting partners. <br/> <br/>"However, not all cohabiting partners will automatically be granted an award by court and even in situations where an award is made, this will be limited to ‘what is reasonably required for their maintenance’. <br/> <br/>"Conversely, married partners who bring such a claim are granted an award based solely on what is reasonable in the circumstances, whether it is necessary for their maintenance or not. Unfortunately the law in this area does not yet reflect the changes in society meaning that less people are getting married and those that do are doing it later. <br/> <br/>"All unmarried partners would be well advised to get their affairs in order as soon as they know how they want to leave their estate. An individual can write as many Wills as they choose, so should not be constrained by worrying that they may want to change their minds. <br/> <br/>"For any unmarried partners affected by a partner dying intestate or unexpectedly leaving them out of their Will, they should be aware that the time limit for making an application to the Court is very short. <br/> <br/>"They have just six months from the date of the grant of representation in order to make a claim. The Court can sometimes disregard the time limit, but it is at their discretion and it is always better to be safe than sorry." Julia Burns - Associate