The Faculty of Law was established in 1962 as one of the foundation teaching units of the University of Lagos. It is one of the foundation teaching units of the University of Lagos.
(Department of Private and Property Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, 2008) Adekile, O.
The paper interrogates the provisions of the wills statutes that provide family members of a testator with the right to apply for reasonable financial provisions: it compares these Nigerian statutes with similar legislation in England. It underscores the rationale of family provision legislation: to correct inequities and exclusions in property rights; to fill the gap in the created by the absence of a matrimonial property system, the need to reduce the burden on tax payers, absence of social security, co- ownership theory, the need for spousal entitlement that was wider than maintenance and dependency. It examined the powers of the courts under the wills statutes in Nigeria and concludes that whilst the provisions perform an altruistic role, the powers of the courts should be properly articulated to avoid judicial will making and legislation.