Help! My friend’s estranged second husband is profiting from her death at the expense of her teenage daughters from her first marriage

[Daughtersofrebecca]

Please can anyone help or offer advice?

After a long battle with mental illness, my friend died earlier this year. Unfortunately she died intestate which means that her estranged second husband is entitled to pretty much everything under the laws of intestacy.
However they married in August 2013 and she then threw him out August 2014 (due to his attitude towards money and also his refusal to consummate the marriage because “she’d let herself go!” (Something he also alluded to several times after her death to my husband and I, whilst saying her death was nothing to do with him as they hadn’t been in touch for several years!) she also didn’t provide any financial support to him as they didn’t have children etc.
Unfortunately due to the financial situation my friend was in, she couldn’t afford a divorce (he later requested one so he could remarry but asked if she’d pay for it as he could!’t!)
Although my friend left a handwritten, signed will, this wasn’t witnessed so is invalid. However she clearly stated that she wanted everything to go towards her daughters’ education and support, no mention of the estranged husband beyond returning his engagement ring!
Now however he is saying he’s entitled to everything as she always said she’d look after him and doesn’t seem to recognise that whilst he has replaced her several times over, her daughters will never be able to replace their Mum or that their financial needs are much greater than his.
We’ve attempted to negotiate with him but to no avail, he doesn’t think he ought to contribute towards any of the liabilities my friend incurred during their brief marriage nor accept the immorality of him living of her hard work and refusing to honour her final wishes.
My friend’s daughters are devasted at the loss of their mother and upset by this further betrayal by her estranged second husband. Therefore a claim is being brought through the courts to seek provision for them but this costs money. Therefore they have set up a Crowdfinding page to help raise money for their legal costs.
My appeal to members of Mumsnet is this:
If you have children from a previous relationship please ensure you have a valid, (signed & witnessed) Will and that you are transparent with everyone concerned as to your intentions in the event of your death.
Any advice of help anyone is able to offer will be gratefully received. We have written to our MPs and are trying to highlight this issue to others.
Thanks.

What a horrible situation for your friends daughter.
It just doesn't seem fair.
I really do hope that they can get her some of her mums money.
My aunts neighbour had a similar situation. Her husband died while their children were early teens, and she remarried when they were 18 &20. She unexpectedly died and the new husband inherited everything and kicked the kids out as they were now adults living in 'his house' which they had grown up in. Terribly sad.

Thank you.
It’s just so sad to see people profiting from other people’s misery and deliberately flouting the deceased’s intentions.
Today it’s six months since my friend died and it has been th hardest 6 months any of us within her family and friends have faced.
We have contacted local MPs and her daughters have started a crowdfunding campaign to bring legal action against this man but he doesn’t appear to have any shame.

It’s important for parents to stop and think + put a will in place no to screw their children over like that.

Good luck with the court case. I hope the girls are able to claw some money back.