A secret wife has been allowed to make a claim against her dead husband’s estate.
The wife who had separated in 1970 claims she “ had received a letter informing me that I had never been divorced from the King and that in the eyes of Islamic law I was still married to him.” She says she had legal trappings of a marriage but none of the assets.
Janan Harb told the High Court in London that she married King Fahd in 1968 when he was a Prince. She was asked to leave the country in 1970 by the family, however she continued to keep in touch with the Prince. She claims King Fahd had promised to provide for her financially for the rest of her life. She claims that after his death his son Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd had promised to honour the terms of his father’s promise and offered to pay her a sum of money and transfer two properties in London in to her name.
Since the son had not complied with his contract, proceedings were issued in London by Mrs Harb. Prince Abdul Aziz argued that the court had no jurisdiction to hear this claim and that he had State Immunity. The Judge rejected this and allowed the case to proceed. This is despite the fact that the judge acknowledged that there was no evidence of a similar claim ever being brought in the past.
Family disputes can be a minefield. At Actons, our family law specialists will advise you on complex issues such as:
- The right International Jurisdiction.
- Is it a valid marriage?
- Has an international divorce finalised all financial claims?
- What financial claims arise from the marriage or relationship?
- Can a wife/husband make a claim against the estate?
For more information or advice on this or any other Family Law issue, please get in touch with our team of specialist Family Lawyers on 0115 9 100 200 or send us a message.
Posted on July 10, 2014