An unsigned will has emerged as the crux of a battle over the estate of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Details of the document emerged on Friday as a hearing began in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, where his son, his longtime lawyer and his former carer are all competing for control of the estate.
Documents presented in court show that just weeks before his death in April, Giuffre wrote a will and contacted his lawyer Cary Louden to draft it.
But before he could sign the document or testify, he died on a small Western Australian farm, 80 kilometers north of Perth – leaving the property officially intestate.
The existence of the unsigned will is now at the center of competing claims with Giuffre’s sons, Christian, 19, and Noah, 18, fighting in court for control of the estate.
He rejected the claim that documents presented to the court by Louden and Giuffre’s former caregiver, Cheryl Myers, represent their mother’s final Intentions.
“Such instructions were preliminary instructions in consideration of preparing a will, which was not prepared,” a court document said.
“The deceased did not intend to give such instructions in her will.”
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Louden and Myers’ counterclaim argues that the court should recognize the oral and written instructions they received as an “informal will”, which under WA law allows certain documents or notes to be validated as expressing a person’s intentions for their estate.
“On February 27, 2025, the deceased made an informal will in writing,” the defense counterclaim said.
“On 2 April 2025, the deceased, in the presence of the second defendant (Myers), gave oral instructions to the first defendant (Louden) to prepare a will to be executed in accordance with the Wills Act.”
A document submitted by the defense reads: “I appoint Cheryl Myers and Carrie Louden as my executors and trustees.”
On Tuesday, Guardian Australia revealed that lawyer Ian Torrington Blatchford had been appointed interim administrator.
On Friday, media reports put the estimated size of Giuffre’s estate at barely half a million dollars, but the actual amount is likely to be much higher and also includes leftover money from a reported £12m (A$20m) out-of-court settlement she received in 2022 from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor – formerly Prince Andrew – after she alleged he sexually abused her when she was 17. Was. He has denied the allegations.
Supreme Court documents show Giuffre’s estate is worth more than A$472,000 – a legal limit in WA that governs how property is divided when there is no will.
Christian and Noah’s statement of claim includes assets from the Witty River Family Trust, a 2017 Toyota Kluger, a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado, a horse, jewellery, royalties from Giuffre’s memoir and personal belongings at the Neergaby property where she died.
Even if the court ultimately finds that an informal will existed, Christian and Noah argue that Giuffre lacked the capacity to make a will at the time he drafted the documents.
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Medical records are expected to be an important part of their evidence.
The plaintiffs in the case also argue that the alleged informal will should not be accepted because Louden, the attorney who recorded the instructions, would benefit financially from the estate.
“The first defendant (Louden) would benefit from the deceased’s estate as a beneficiary and such benefit would be a breach of fiduciary duty,” the defense of counterclaim document states.
Myers is also listed to benefit under the document.
Court registrar Danielle Davis said a further case management hearing would take place at a date to be determined next year.
Giuffre was groomed and abused by the late convicted sex offender Epstein.
In May this year, Giuffre’s father Sky Roberts claimed on Piers Morgan Uncensored that: “There’s no way she would have committed suicide… someone came at her.”
A WA Police spokesperson said this week that Giuffre’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
“Major crime detectives are preparing a report for the coroner,” the spokesperson told the Guardian.
The WA Coroner’s Court could not give any time frame as to when the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Giuffre’s death would be completed.
At the time of his death his family said that Giuffre “lost his life by suicide”.
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