Man wants adoption set aside to claim from estate
A fund manager and professor in applied mathematics who was adopted 51 years ago as a baby has approached the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) to set aside his adoption in order to claim a share of his wealthy biological father's estate, notes Rapport.
Eben Maré’s biological father, André Bezuidenhout, died intestate with assets worth R68.9m. Maré discovered in 2012 that he was adopted as a baby. He formed a relationship with his biological father for three years before Bezuidenhout was murdered. Maré’s biological mother, Dalene Wilken, is a co-applicant in the matter and alleges that she was forced to give Maré up for adoption.
Maré is also challenging the constitutionality of the Intestate Succession Act insofar as adopted children are excluded.
He argues that he obtained a right to inheritance at birth and that the Act takes away this right with retrospective force. Bezuidenhout’s three other surviving children are opposing the application, saying it is ‘quantum leap’ to declare Maré’s adoption invalid.
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
