SOLDIERS' ESTATES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 250, 10 July 1918, Page 5

SOLDIERS' ESTATES

AN ANOMALY IN THE LAW OF INHERITANCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. " Auckland, July 0. A deputation from the Soldiers' Mothera' League waited on Sir James Allen with reference to tho anomaly in the in tho law of inheritance. Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., in introducing tho deputation, said that under the Statute of Distribution, dating from about the reign of Charles 11, an estate of a baeholor dying intestate went to tho father solel.v. Several instances had cropped up in which young soldiers had been absolutely neglected by their fathers during the period of rearing and education, yet when tho youths had made the great sacrifice tlifc fathers had claimed and received insuranco money and other estntc. Ho thought tho mother was entitled to at least an equal share. Sir James Allen said that many cases had come bfiforo him in which men who had deserted their wives had enforced their claims to deceased sons' estates, and ho had had great difficulty in preventing such men from benefiting by allotments and allowances that ought to go to wives and mothers. He did not know how fsr the law could bo altered next session, or whether tho Government would be prepared to legislate, but ho would place the matter before tho Attorney-General to see if means could bo devised to place the matter on a nioro equitable basis.