Former Premier League footballer Marlon King has successfully contested his father's will, securing a third share of his £650,000 estate after a court found the document was not properly signed by witnesses. King had sued his half-brother, Marvin, and half-sister, Leisha, after their father, Carl Vincent King, had explicitly excluded Marlon from his will.
The contested will, dated before Carl Vincent King's death on March 1, 2025, contained a clause titled 'intentional exclusion' stating: "I have deliberately excluded my son Marlon Francis King (hereinafter referred to as 'the Excluded Person') from this my Will and it is my intention that the Excluded Person should receive no part of my Estate."
However, Marlon King challenged the validity of the will, and a judge at Manchester Civil Justice Centre ruled in his favor last month. The court found that the will did not comply with Section 9 of the Wills Act, which requires a will to be signed in the presence of two witnesses who also sign the document. One of the witnesses, Karen Jones, confirmed she did not sign the will correctly, and correspondence from solicitors Awdry Law indicated the second witness, Bianca Lilley, also did not attest the will according to legal requirements.
As a result of the ruling, the estate, valued at £650,100, will now be divided equally among Marlon, Marvin, and Leisha. The executor of the will, Marvin, has also been ordered to pay two-thirds of Marlon's legal costs, amounting to £17,066.94.
Marvin King has expressed his disappointment with the outcome, criticizing his brother for seeking a share of the inheritance. "You're a multi-millionaire, you didn't come to his funeral, but you'll show up to take a third of everything. Honestly, to this day, I can't understand it," he stated after the hearing. He also advised others to ensure legal documents are executed precisely to avoid similar situations.
Marlon King, who made 66 Premier League appearances and played for the Jamaican national team, has a history of off-pitch controversies, including previous jail terms. He stated that he had informed his brother he could not attend the funeral and had never sought to be included in the will, asserting he had provided evidence to the court to support his claim.
Carl Vincent King died following an infection after a transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement procedure. According to King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, he was the first patient in the UK to receive the specific valve used, and the infection developed rapidly, making it difficult to detect.