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03 | He worked the farm for decades and got nothing

03 | He worked the farm for decades and got nothing

Author: ABC Australia August 14, 2026 Duration: 0:00
Law Report
GovernmentNewsPolitics
You work the family farm your whole life, then it's left to someone else. When drafting a will, the law says you don't have to be fair or equal in deciding who will receive your estate. So, after you pass away, can disgruntled family members or friends challenge your will in the courts? Conflicts over inheritance arise in many families but are particularly fraught and complex in farming families. Andrew Lawson of the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law at the University of New England explains why the farm behaves almost like a third party in the family, and how the courts weigh need over fairness.  He unpacks a $20 million farm fight where two siblings sued the estate and only one won, and the High Court case of a share farmer who toiled for decades on the promise the land would be his, only to see it left to someone else. The Law Report's special series Over My Dead Body looks at farming family fallouts over inheritance and the unique challenges they create around succession. This conversation does not represent or replace legal advice.

Produced by ABC Australia, Law Report digs into the legal frameworks and courtroom decisions that shape society. This isn't just a summary of headlines; it's a deep, thoughtful examination of how legislation and judicial rulings filter into everyday life, affecting everything from personal liberties to national policy. Each episode unpacks complex issues with clarity, moving beyond the sensational to explain the real human stakes behind high-profile cases and legislative changes. You'll hear directly from legal experts, journalists, and sometimes those personally entangled in the system, providing a grounded perspective on abstract principles. The podcast consistently demonstrates how the law is a living, evolving force, not just a set of static rules. Whether exploring a historic miscarriage of justice, the intricacies of a new bill in parliament, or a landmark international ruling, the conversation is always geared toward making the inaccessible understandable. For anyone curious about the mechanics of power, rights, and governance, this series offers essential context. Tune in for a reliably insightful analysis of how legal stories unfolding in Australia and around the world ultimately define the boundaries of our collective and individual lives.
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