British Columbia court awards $5.5M estate to charities after will dispute
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An inheritance dispute involving a C$5.5 million estate has ended with a significant victory for charity in British Columbia. When 80-year-old Shirley Isobel Alexander died in April 2025, she left behind a carefully documented estate plan directing her wealth towards charitable causes.
But after her death, a woman claiming to be her friend came forward with photocopies of a different will that allegedly named her as the sole beneficiary. The competing claims eventually landed in court, where the Supreme Court of British Columbia delivered its decision on October 29, 2026, ruling in favour of Alexander's original charitable intentions.A fortune intended for charitable causesAlexander, who lived in Lac La Hache, British Columbia, died on April 29, 2025, without a spouse or children.
Her estate was valued at approximately C$5.5 million, with her first cousins among her closest relatives.According to Clark Wilson LLP, her estate planning dated back to March 2018, when she signed a will prepared by her lawyer.
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