Family Provision: Camilla Receives $30,000 After Being Left Out of Her Father’s Estate
Excluded daughter wins $30k family provision claim after estrangement.
Despite years of hardship and a complicated relationship with her father, Camilla received $30,000 after being left out of his estate.
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This image is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent our actual client.
Camilla's Story
Pseudonyms are used to protect the client's identity.
Camilla had an unhappy and severely traumatic childhood.
Her parents divorced when she was 5, and her mother moved in with another man when Camilla was 8.
He sexually assaulted Camilla regularly for two years.
Camilla recalls one time her mother saw him do this to her in her bedroom but walked away.
At one point, the abuse was so bad that Camilla ran away from home with her brother; however, they were caught by someone who knew them. That night, Camilla's stepfather beat and sexually assaulted her again.
Camilla eventually came forward about the abuse to her dad and Grandma, and she was rushed to the police station to come forward about the abuse.
Camilla's father, Anthony, did not want to take Camilla in for reasons she has never understood, which resulted in her going to a child's care home and foster care. Camilla was sexually assaulted in both environments.
Camilla felt highly let down by Anthony.
When Camilla was 12 years old, she again came forward about her sexual assault to her grandmother, who then decided to raise her by herself.
Camilla's Grandmother and Anthony lived two streets from each other. Despite this, Camilla saw her father only about once a month and rarely spoke on the telephone.
Camilla moved out of her grandmother's home when she had her first child.
Camilla's grandmother sadly passed away in 1994.
Years later, in 2003, Camilla had another child. In 2004, her then-partner sent a letter via Lawyers stating that he was refusing to return Camila's daughter after she visited him. This was an ongoing legal battle that caused many mental issues in Camilla's life.
In 2010, Camilla's son passed away when he was only 17 years old. Anthony attended the funeral. Camilla recalls him comforting her, the first time she had ever seen him be affectionate with her.
In 2013, Camilla's work hours significantly declined. Anthony agreed to let her move in with him to help with her expenses. That said, his new partner made her feel highly unwanted.
Camilla stated that even though she was living with her dad now, their relationship was still complicated.
It wasn't until 2018 that Camilla told Anthony they needed to talk more about their feelings and what had happened in their past. However, shortly after, Anthony suffered from a workplace injury, which he required surgery. Because of this, they never spoke about their issues.
In 2018-2020, Camilla and Anthony's relationship improved significantly. The whole family reunited for annual celebrations and kept in touch regularly on the phone.
In June 2020, Camilla's brother came to visit her and told her that Anthony had passed away. Camilla was deeply saddened that she could not say goodbye to Anthony, did not know he was in the hospital, and, most regrettably, they never got to speak about their prior issues.
Anthony left the entirety of the estate to his partner.
His partner and Camilla have never had a good relationship. Therefore, Camilla believes she would not consider her short/long-term financial needs. This includes expenses such as severe physical health conditions and mental health issues as a result of the previously described traumas in Camilla's life.
Our Approach
In 2020, Camilla approached Dormer Stanhope seeking to claim a portion of her father’s estate.
At the time, she was living in extremely unsafe conditions and unable to afford essential treatment that could significantly improve her well-being. Any financial support would have made a substantial difference in her life.
However, Justeen Dormer, Director of Dormer Stanhope, recognised that both the inheritance and the estate itself were modest, meaning the available funds would not be sufficient to provide meaningful assistance.
After mediation, Camilla received $30,000 from her father’s estate, excluding legal fees.
Understanding the broader impact of Camilla’s circumstances, Justeen advised her to pursue a claim against the care home where she had suffered repeated assaults.
Despite coming forward about the abuse years earlier, Camilla was not believed at the time.
Justeen explained that seeking compensation could provide the financial resources needed to help rebuild her life.
Read more about Camilla’s abuse case:
Camilla Receives $205,000 After Years of Institutional Neglect and Abuse