Two wives married to same man fight over his £1.8m fortune

Margaret Dinsdale (left) found out her late husband was still married to Victoria Fowell - Champion News

A beautician and a dentist are locked in a £1.8m inheritance battle after their husband married them both in Las Vegas five years apart and failed to divorce from his first bride.

James Dinsdale, an accountant, died of cancer in October 2020, aged 55. His most recent partner, 41-year-old Margaret Dinsdale, assumed that she would inherit his estate as next of kin.

But the beautician was shocked to discover that Dinsdale had been still legally married to his first wife when they got married in 2017, making their marriage “void” and leaving her with no automatic right to inherit.

In 2012, Dinsdale had married Dr Victoria Fowell, 53, a cosmetic dentist, in Las Vegas, but he never divorced her – making her his heir alongside his adult son under intestacy laws.

James Dinsdale, who died of cancer in October 2020 - Champion News

The two women are now in a High Court battle after Mrs Dinsdale launched a claim for her late husband’s money on the basis that she should be treated as a “spouse”.

In a preliminary hearing, High Court judge Master James Brightwell heard that Dinsdale had built a property development business and left an estate now valued at around £1.8m.

Jonathan Davey KC, Mrs Dinsdale’s barrister, said his client met Dinsdale in 2008 and became friends before beginning a “romantic relationship” in 2014, but she had no idea he was still married.

Dinsdale had not made a will, so his money is set to be divided between Dr Fowell and his son William Dinsdale, 28.

Dinsdale had married Dr Victoria Fowell, a cosmetic dentist, in 2012 - Facebook

Mr Davey said “there is no evidence” that Mrs Dinsdale was aware of her husband’s still-valid marriage to Dr Fowell when they married in 2017.

He said: “She understood the marriage between the deceased and Dr Fowell to have ended some time prior to the relationship between the deceased and the claimant beginning.

Touching on Dinsdale’s 2017 wedding, he noted that the ceremony took place “in almost the same location”, in a Las Vegas wedding chapel – similar to the one in which Dinsdale and Dr Fowell were married in June 2012.

Mrs Dinsdale has made a claim in court for “reasonable provision” amounting to at least half of the £1.8m estate left by Dinsdale.

Mr Davey said Mrs Dinsdale had looked after her husband “24 hours a day” during his final struggles with cancer and was his “primary carer”. He said the couple had been together for six years, and Mrs Dinsdale was “entirely financially dependent” on him after giving up work during their marriage.

Margaret Dinsdale assumed that she would inherit the estate as next of kin - Champion News

Mr Davey highlighted no evidence of “financial need” on the part of Dr Fowell, and Mrs Dinsdale alleged that her husband had provided his first wife with a property and a £2m lump sum after their relationship ended.

Although the court heard it is alleged that Mrs Dinsdale has already received £375,000 “from the estate or in sums derived from James”, Mr Davey said that is denied and that she has only received £20,000 from his pension.

Judge Brightwell ruled it was “not disputed” that Mrs Dinsdale should be considered a “spouse” and said there should be a future hearing regarding how the estate should be divided between his wives and son.

The judge also allocated Mrs Dinsdale £50,000 from the estate to help cover her bills and contribute towards lawyers’ bills as the case progresses.

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