All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Charity Doesn't Begin at Home

    • January 14, 2011
    • BBC Two

    Lesley wants to leave half the family home to charity, but husband David wants all of it to be left to his two sons by a previous marriage. Meanwhile, army major Tom is bound for Baghdad, and urgently needs to make a will that includes his two stepdaughters. But his new wife Kiera is against the principle of inheritance and would rather leave everything they jointly own to charity. Both couples need to face some uncomfortable home truths before they sign on the dotted line. Sir Gerry is assisted by top lawyer Sue Medder, who sets out the legal options in each case, and writes the final wills. And Sir Gerry gets all the family involved in the debate, because keeping problems secret is no way to solve them. Deciding who gets what in a will can be one of the toughest choices anyone can have to make. But making no decisions at all and dying without a will can cause rifts that tear families apart.

  • S01E02 Favouritism

    • January 21, 2011
    • BBC Two

    Mother of five Brenda wants to leave more to youngest daughter Kerrie to make up for childcare she has given her other daughters. But husband Robert is terrified that Brenda's plan could cause a rift between the five girls they have always treated equally. When Trevor's parents died they left him 80 per cent of their estate, while half-sister Pat got just 20 per cent. Now history seems to be repeating itself: Trevor's desire to pass money back to Pat's family is complicated by his plan to show favouritism to just one of his nieces. Sir Gerry is assisted by top lawyer, Sue Medder, who sets out the legal options in each case, and writes the final wills. And Sir Gerry gets all the family involved in the debate, because keeping problems secret is no way to solve them. Deciding who gets what in a will can be one of the toughest choices anyone can have to make. But making no decisions at all and dying without a will, can cause rifts that tear families apart.

  • S01E03 Sons and Daughters

    • January 28, 2011
    • BBC Two

    Raymond is desperate to protect the Kent farm he has spent a lifetime building up and wants to leave it all to his sons, who work there, and leave out his daughter, who doesn't. But wife Jane isn't convinced this is fair. Meanwhile devout Muslims Khalid and Sara have raised their two daughters to be equal to their son, but the Koran states that boys should be left twice as much as their sisters. Khalid and Sara face a dilemma over making a will that is fair to their kids in contemporary Britain, while remaining true to their faith. Sir Gerry is assisted by top lawyer, Sue Medder, who sets out the legal options in each case, and writes the final wills. Sir Gerry gets all the family involved in the debate, because keeping problems secret is no way to solve them. Deciding who gets what in a will can be one of the toughest choices anyone can have to make. But making no decisions at all and dying without a will, can cause rifts that tear families apart.

  • S01E04 Guardianship

    • February 4, 2011
    • BBC Two

    Sir Gerry meets two couples facing tough decisions over what will happen to their children in the event of their deaths. Sarah has two daughters by different fathers. She wants new husband Jason to take on both girls if she dies, but is terrified that her former partner might want to separate the sisters. In the second family, Ian is a polar adventurer, who has been unable to write his will because he and wife Becky can't agree on whose parents would be best to bring up their three young daughters. Both want their own parents to take on the role - but the two sets of grandparents are very different.

  • S01E05 The Family Business

    • February 11, 2011
    • BBC Two

    Passing on a family business can be fraught with pitfalls. Nev and Alan have built up a £3 million business which son Damian wants them to leave protected for future generations. But daughter Vashti would like the freedom to decide what to do with her share of the business. Now, Nev and Alan have to face up to the fact that they may not trust their daughter to do the right thing. Meanwhile, in the second family of the week, Hans and Anna are in despair over how to hand on their £4 million garden-nursery business to their six adult children, three of whom disagree over who should take charge in the future.

  • S01E06 Disability

    • February 18, 2011
    • BBC Two

    Having a child with special needs can leave parents facing tough choices when it comes to making a will. Bruce wants to write a will which leaves nothing to his children, or his autistic grandson, but instead gives everything to his two other grandchildren. However, Bruce's whole family disagree with this plan. Patsy and Andy can't agree on what to leave their daughter, Rebecca. Andy thinks she should get more than her brothers, because she is severely disabled and will need lifelong care, but Patsy can't bear the thought of leaving some children less than others, and wants to divide everything three ways.