In re Estate of Ian A. Pringle
Virgin Islands Territorial Court
2000 WL 1349231 (2000)
- Written by Meredith Hamilton Alley, JD
Facts
Ian A. Pringle married Bernadette Pringle (plaintiff) in 1978. In 1980, Ian and Bernadette decided to quickly obtain a sham divorce to further a fraudulent business purpose. Ian and Bernadette traveled to Puerto Rico to visit the consulate of the Dominican Republic, which was known for quickly issuing divorce decrees to nonresidents. From the consulate, Ian and Bernadette petitioned the Dominican court for a decree of divorce. Neither Ian nor Bernadette resided in the Dominican Republic, nor were they domiciled there. Later, Ian briefly traveled to the Dominican Republic for the purpose of retrieving the decree. During the 16 years following the issuance of the divorce decree, Ian and Bernadette lived together and Bernadette bore Ian’s children; at the same time, Ian had relationships with other women, some of whom also bore his children. The relationship between Ian and Bernadette ended in 1996 when Ian apparently died in a plane crash in the Virgin Islands. A probate matter was opened in the Virgin Islands Territorial Court, where Bernadette sought a spousal share of Ian’s estate. Ian’s heirs (defendants) opposed Bernadette’s action.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Steele, J.)
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