Matrimonial Causes Act 1965

26 Orders for maintenance from deceased’s estate.E+W

(1)Where after 31st December 1958 a person dies domiciled in England and is survived by a former spouse of his or hers (hereafter in this section referred to as “the survivor”) who has not remarried, the survivor may—

(a). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

(b). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

apply to the court for an order under this section on the ground that the deceased has not made reasonable provision for the survivor’s maintenance after the deceased’s death.

[F2An application under this section shall not, except with the permission of the court, be made after the end of the period of six months from the date on which representation in regard to the estate of the deceased is first taken out.]

(2)If on an application under this section the court is satisfied—

(a)that it would have been reasonable for the deceased to make provision for the survivor’s maintenance; and

(b)that the deceased has made no provision, or has not made reasonable provision, for the survivor’s maintenance,

the court may order that such reasonable provision for the survivor’s maintenance as the court thinks fit shall be made out of the net estate of the deceased, subject to such conditions or restrictions (if any) as the court may impose.

(3)Where the court makes an order under this section requiring provision to be made for the maintenance of the survivor, the order shall require that provision to be made by way of periodical payments terminating not later than the survivor’s death and, if the survivor remarries, not later than the remarriage, so however that [F3if the court sees fit] the order may require that provision to be made wholly or in part by way of a lump sum payment.

(4)On an application under this section the court shall have regard—

(a)to the past, present or future capital of the survivor and to any income of the survivor from any source;

(b)to the survivor’s conduct in relation to the deceased and otherwise;

(c)to any application made or deemed to be made by the survivor during the lifetime of the deceased—

(i)where the survivor is a former wife of the deceased, for such an order as is mentioned in section 16(1) of this Act or that subsection as applied by section 19 of this Act;

(ii)where the survivor is a former husband of the deceased, for such an order as could be made either under the said section 16(1) as applied by subsection (3) of that section or under section 17(2) of this Act,

[F4(iii)where the survivor is a former wife or a former husband of the deceased, for an order under section 2 or 4 of the M1Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act 1970 or under section 23(1)(a), (b) or (c) or 24 of the M2Matrimonial Causes Act 1973]

and to the order (if any) made on any such application, or (if no such application was made by the survivor, or such an application was made by the survivor and no order was made on the application) to the circumstances appearing to the court to be the reasons why no such application was made, or no such order was made, as the case may be; and

(d)to any other matter or thing which, in the circumstances of the case, the court may consider relevant or material in relation to the survivor, to persons interested in the estate of the deceased, or otherwise.

(5)In determining whether, and in what way, and as from what date, provision for maintenance ought to be made by an order under this section, the court shall have regard to the nature of the property representing the net estate of the deceased and shall not order any such provision to be made as would necessitate a realisation that would be imprudent having regard to the interests of the dependants of the deceased, of the survivor, and of the persons who apart from the order would be entitled to that property.

[F5(5A)For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that references in this section to remarriage include references to a marriage which is by law void or voidable.]

(6)In this and [F6the three next following sections]—

[F7 “Court” [F8means the High Court and] includes a county court in relation to cases of which a county court has jurisdiction]
“former spouse”, in relation to a deceased person, means a person whose marriage with the deceased was during the deceased’s lifetime dissolved or annulled by a decree made or deemed to be made under [F9the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973], and “former wife” and “former husband” shall be construed accordingly;
“net estate” and “dependant” have the same meanings as in the M3Inheritance (Family Provision) Act 1938 [F10as amended by the M4Family Provision Act 1966][F11the M5Family Law Reform Act 1969 and the M6Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970]; and
“property” means any real or personal property, any estate or interest in real or personal property, any money, any negotiable instrument, debt or other chose in action, or any other right or interest whether in possession or not.