The estate of Virginia Giuffre, the woman who received a multi-million pound settlement from Prince Andrew, has become the subject of a fierce legal dispute in Western Australia's Supreme Court. At the heart of the matter lies an unsigned will, with Giuffre's sons battling her former lawyer and carer for control of assets officially valued at over $472,000 but believed to be substantially more.
The Core of the Legal Dispute
Court documents reveal that in the weeks preceding her death in April 2025, Giuffre had instructed her longtime solicitor, Karrie Louden, to prepare a will. Tragically, she passed away at her small farm in Neergabby, approximately 80km north of Perth, before she could sign the document or have it witnessed. This left her estate officially intestate.
Giuffre's sons, Christian and Noah, have rejected claims that documents presented by Louden and Giuffre's former carer, Cheryl Myers, represent their mother's final wishes. Their legal filing states, "Such instructions were preliminary instructions in contemplation of preparing a will, which was not prepared. The deceased did not intend for such instructions to constitute her will."
Competing Claims and an 'Informal Will'
In a counterclaim, Louden and Myers are urging the court to recognise Giuffre's verbal and written instructions as an 'informal will'. Under Western Australian law, certain unsigned documents or notes can be validated if they clearly express a person's testamentary intentions.
Their defence argues that on 27 February 2025, Giuffre created an informal will in writing, and on 2 April 2025, provided verbal instructions to Louden in Myers' presence to prepare a formal will. A document submitted by the defence explicitly states, "I appoint Cheryl Myers and Karrie Louden as my executors and trustees." Both women are listed as beneficiaries under this alleged informal will.
Meanwhile, lawyer Ian Torrington Blatchford has been appointed as an interim administrator to oversee the estate during the proceedings.
The True Value of the Estate and Capacity Concerns
While court documents initially value the estate at just over $472,000—a key legal threshold in WA for intestate cases—its true worth is likely far greater. The estate is expected to include the remainder of Giuffre's reported £12 million (A$20 million) out-of-court settlement from Prince Andrew in 2022. The Duke of York has consistently denied Giuffre's allegations of sexual abuse when she was 17.
The statement of claim from Christian and Noah details assets including the Witty River Family Trust, a 2017 Toyota Kluger, a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado, a horse, jewellery, royalties from Giuffre's memoir, and personal effects from the Neergabby property.
Adding another layer to the case, Giuffre's sons contend that even if the court finds an informal will existed, their mother lacked the legal capacity to make a will at the time the documents were drafted. Medical records are anticipated to form a significant part of their evidence.
Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue the alleged informal will should be invalidated because Louden, the lawyer who recorded the instructions, stands to benefit financially from the estate, potentially breaching her fiduciary duty.
Court Registrar Danielle Davies has confirmed that a further case management hearing will be scheduled for a date to be determined next year, prolonging the resolution of this complex and emotionally charged legal battle.
