The estate of Virginia Giuffre, the woman who reached a multi-million pound settlement with Prince Andrew after alleging sexual abuse, has become the subject of a bitter legal battle in Western Australia's Supreme Court.
The Central Dispute: An Unsigned Will
At the heart of the controversy lies an unsigned will that Giuffre prepared weeks before her death in April 2025. Court documents reveal she contacted her longtime lawyer, Karrie Louden, to have the will prepared but died before signing or having it witnessed.
This has left her estate officially intestate, meaning there is no legally valid will to determine how her assets should be distributed.
Giuffre's sons, Christian and Noah, are fighting against claims that documents submitted by Louden and Giuffre's former carer, Cheryl Myers, represent their mother's final intentions.
Competing Claims Over Estate Control
The legal battle pits Giuffre's sons against her lawyer and former carer, who are all vying for control of the estate assets.
Christian and Noah argue in court documents that the instructions their mother provided were preliminary and she never intended them to constitute her final will.
However, Louden and Myers are counterclaiming that the court should recognise both verbal and written instructions as an "informal will" under Western Australian law.
Their defence states: "On 27 February 2025, the deceased created an informal will in writing" and that on 2 April 2025, Giuffre provided verbal instructions to prepare a will in accordance with the Wills Act.
Estate Value and Assets
Court documents officially value Giuffre's estate at more than $472,000 (£250,000 approximately), but the true amount is likely significantly higher.
The estate is believed to include what remains of the reported £12 million out-of-court settlement Giuffre received from Prince Andrew in 2022 after alleging he sexually abused her when she was 17. The Duke of York has consistently denied these allegations.
Specific assets listed in the statement of claim include:
- The Witty River Family Trust
- A 2017 Toyota Kluger
- A 2024 Chevrolet Silverado
- A horse
- Jewellery and personal effects
- Royalties from Giuffre's memoir
- Property at Neergabby where she died
Capacity and Conflict of Interest Concerns
Even if the court finds an informal will existed, Giuffre's sons argue their mother lacked the capacity to make a will when the documents were drafted. Medical records are expected to form a significant part of their evidence.
The plaintiffs also raise serious conflict of interest concerns, noting that both Louden and Myers stand to benefit financially from the estate under the disputed document.
A defence to the counterclaim document states: "The first defendant (Louden) will stand to benefit from the deceased's estate as a beneficiary and such benefit will be in breach of the fiduciary duty."
Court registrar Danielle Davies has confirmed that a further case management hearing will be scheduled for next year as this complex legal dispute continues to unfold.
