May 11, 2016

Woman argues she should be awarded half her late husband’s estate

Mari Vindis had filed the papers some two months before her husband Nigel’s sudden death in 2013.

The 59-year-old widow has now taken her case to the High Court and intends to challenge the will.

She has made the case that, had the divorce proceedings been completed, she would have been awarded half of a £12million estate (Mr Vindis had considerable wealth as the head of the Vindis Group car dealerships.)

Mrs Justice Aplin, the presiding Judge, this month heard evidence that the couple had been together for almost 40 years, raising two children at their Cambridgeshire home.

The husband and wife separated in 2011, with divorce proceedings initiated two years later.

Multi-millionaire Mr Vindis, who had taken over the chain of car dealerships started by his father in the 1960s, had died suddenly at the age of 58.

His will and letter of intentions left the lion’s share of his fortune to the couple’s children and the sum of just £36,000 to his wife.

However, Mrs Vindis had made the case that their marriage had been an equal partnership and that it would be “reasonable provision” for her to receive half the estate.

The case has now been adjourned pending the preparation of further evidence.

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