When a Beneficiary Named in a Will Does Not Exist

A recent Queensland Supreme Court decision illustrates an unusual estate problem: what happens when a person named as executor and beneficiary in a will turns out not to exist?

In In the Will of Clifford Stanley Perrin [2026] QSC 247, Mr Perrin had been the victim of a romance scam lasting more than a decade. He believed he had married a former New York fashion model known as “Stella”, despite never having met her in person or attended a wedding ceremony with her. Over the years, he sent money, gift cards and personal information to her.

His will appointed Stella as executor and left his estate to her, with his daughter to inherit if Stella died before him.

The Court found that Stella did not exist as a real person. The supposed marriage certificate was a forgery, as were documents concerning an inheritance she claimed to be awaiting. When contacted after Mr Perrin’s death, Stella refused to prove her identity and instead asked for money.

Her appointment as executor and the gift to her therefore failed.

Key Takeaways

• In In the Will of Clifford Stanley Perrin [2026] QSC 247, the Queensland Supreme Court found that the main beneficiary and executor named in a will, “Stella”, was not a real person.
• Because Stella did not exist, her appointment as executor and the gift to her both failed.
• The will’s backup gift only applied if Stella died before Mr Perrin, so the Court had to decide whether it also covered her never having existed.
• Under the principle in Jones v Westcomb, a backup gift can sometimes take effect on an event the will-maker didn’t foresee. This only happens where the will and the admissible evidence show that was what they must have intended.
• Mr Perrin’s choice of his daughter as backup beneficiary and executor, together with the suspicions he had recorded about Stella, led the Court to find that she should inherit.
• Courts can’t rewrite a will to get a fair outcome, so a will should clearly say what happens if a gift or an executor appointment can’t take effect.

Did the Alternative Gift Take Effect?

Although Mr Perrin’s will included a backup provision, it addressed Stella dying before him, not the possibility that she had never existed.

The Court applied the longstanding principle in Jones v Westcomb. Where a will provides for a “gift over”, or backup gift, upon a specified event, that gift may sometimes take effect upon a different, unforeseen event. The Court must be satisfied, from the will and relevant admissible evidence, that the will-maker must have intended the backup gift to apply in those circumstances.

Here, the question was whether Mr Perrin’s provision for his daughter if Stella died before him also covered Stella never having existed.

Mr Perrin had expressly chosen his daughter as both an alternative beneficiary and a substitute executor. Despite his continued belief in the relationship, he had also recorded suspicions about Stella. In August 2024, approximately three months after making his will, he expressed concerns that she used different names, had stolen his identity and was involved in fraud.

The Court considered those suspicions alongside the wording of the will and concluded that Mr Perrin must have intended his daughter to inherit if Stella did not exist. His daughter was entitled to probate and the residue of the estate.

The principle does not allow a court to rewrite a will simply to achieve a fair outcome. The failure of an original gift does not automatically mean a backup gift takes effect.

Does Your Will Provide for the Unexpected?

Most wills will never encounter a fictitious beneficiary. However, the case highlights a broader issue: a will should address what happens if the intended arrangements cannot operate.

When preparing or reviewing a will, consider:

• who should inherit if an intended beneficiary dies before you or cannot take their gift;
• who should act if your chosen executor cannot or will not do so; and
• whether the will deals with your entire estate and reflects your current circumstances and wishes.

Carefully drafted substitute provisions can help reduce uncertainty and the risk of costly court proceedings.

ABKJ Lawyers can assist with preparing and reviewing wills, administering estates and resolving questions about the interpretation of a will. If you are uncertain whether your will adequately provides for the unexpected, or need advice about an estate, contact our team on (07) 5532 3199 or submit an enquiry online.