Liam Payne’s £24MILLION legacy revealed after 1D star died aged 31 without writing will… and Cheryl’s key role emerges
Court documents show who has been granted power of administration of his estate
LIAM Payne’s legacy has been revealed after the One Direction star died without writing a will – leaving behind £24.3million.
One Direction singer Liam tragically passed away in October last year at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
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Liam Payne’s £24.3million legacy has been revealedCredit: AFP
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Liam’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy will receive nothing as they were not married or in a civil partnershipCredit: PA
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The former One Direction star shares son Bear with ex-partner Cheryl Tweedy
Court documents show Payne left £28,595,000, which after expenses and debts were paid saw the figure reduced to £24,280,000.
The tragic singer died intestate, which means he didn’t leave a will stating what should be done with his money.
However, docs show the court has granted power of administration of his estate to Cheryl Tweedy, his former partner and mother of his eight-year-old son Bear.
Also named as an administrator is top music lawyer Richard Bray, partner in a London-based legal firm.
What happens if you die without a will?
By THOMAS GODFREY
AROUND half of Brits who die every year do not leave a will – meaning they die intestate.
The term means they failed to leave any directions for what should happen to their estate or who should inherit their possessions.
When someone dies intestate, there is a legally binding order of who will inherit their estate, with spouses given first preference.
This means millions have their assets distributed according to the law rather than their own wishes.
Jean Ward, of My Probate Solicitors, said: “When somebody dies without a valid will, then the intestacy rules kick in.
“It first passes to a spouse or civil partner, then it will go to children, then it will be siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
“It’s a good reminder for people to get their wills done because the rules are not always favourable to people who are not married to the person who has died.”
The legal process for finalising an estate takes roughly the same amount of time whether or not there is a will.
However, solicitors warn that the legal distribution process, if someone dies intestate, may not align with their or their loved one’s wishes, which can trigger lengthy and costly legal battles.
A friend, family member or solicitor must apply to be the estate’s administrator and receive a grant letter from the High Court.
They are then put in charge of administering the estate.
But as Liam Payne died unmarried, Cheryl Tweedy was named the administrator on behalf of their son Bear, eight, who will eventually inherit the money.
It is estimated that as many as 40 million Brits currently do not have a will.
Under UK’s rules of intestacy, it is likely that the money will be placed in trust for Liam’s son, while his girlfriend at the time of his death, Kate Cassidy, will receive nothing as they were not married or in a civil partnership.
This comes after the singer’s haunting final words were revealed by his girlfriend Katie – six months after his death.
The influencer, 25, has been candidly documenting her grief since the tragic event in interviews and on social media.
You can read Kate’s full chat with The Sun here.
She had been with him until two days before his passing.
In an appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, heartbroken Kate shared the comfort she finds in their final exchange.
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Liam Payne’s £24MILLION legacy revealed after 1D star died aged 31 without writing will… and Cheryl’s key role emerges
Liam Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy fights back tears in emotional new video as she sends heartfelt message to late star
Recalling the moment she left Buenos Aires to return to their home in Florida, Kate described the deeply emotional goodbye the couple shared.
She said: “I remember sitting there with him and I was going on and on and on about how much I love him.
“And he laughed and interrupted me and was like: ‘Kate you’re gonna miss your flight, your car is in the driveway.’”
Liam then added: “You’re acting like this is the last time you are ever gonna see me again.”
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Kate Cassidy posted on Instagram just days before Liam’s legacy was revealedCredit: kateecass/Instagram
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The influencer, 25, posed at the F1 Grand Prix in Miami on SundayCredit: kateecass/Instagram
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Liam rose to fame with his fellow One Direction band matesCredit: Alamy
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Liam’s father Geoff Payne visiting the memorial for his son outside the Casa Sur HotelCredit: AP
At the time, Kate said she laughed, unaware of what was to come.
She said: “But to look back in time and know that that was the last time I was ever gonna see him again is just so chilling.
“I am so blessed that it was that heartfelt goodbye. Our last goodbye – I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any differently. I am so glad we had that beautiful time together and I wouldn’t change that.”
In an interview with The Sun in March, she revealed his death “still doesn’t feel fully real”.
She added: “Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end.
“Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina.”
Liam is survived by his son Bear, who he welcomed with singer Cheryl Tweedy in March 2017, after they had been dating for a year.
Kate and Liam’s relationship timeline
It is clear they fell hard and fast for one another after meeting in 2022.
September 2022 – Liam Payne and Kate Cassidy met in a bar in Charleston, South Carolina and went on a bowling date shortly after.
October 2022: Liam and Cassidy were seen celebrating Halloween together.
November 2022: They made their relationship public.
January 2023: Cassidy made their relationship Instagram official.
May 2023: Split rumours surfaced.
June 2023: They were seen together in London in June 2023, dispelling split fears.
October 12 2024: Kate shared on her social media that she flew back to Miami on October 12 while Liam had stayed behind.
October 16 2024 Liam fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Argentinian capital Buenos Aires.
When they split the following year, Liam wrote: “We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world.”
He was co-parenting with the former X Factor judge, whom he met on the hit ITV1 talent show, and said he saw his son up to two to three times a week.
Liam walked hand-in-hand with his son in a final post with the lad he had once described as a “mini me”.
In the video, the singer ruffled his boy’s hair and, alongside a bear and a teary-eyes emoji, he wrote: “Bear is so tall.”
In a separate video in August, he said: “He’s getting so big now. He’s a big boy and he looks like a mini me. As if we needed any more me in the world.”
Meanwhile, in and interview with People in 2022, Liam gushed: “I make sure when I see him, he has 100 per cent of my time and I’m not d***ing around.
“I like to give him those moments and it’s important.
“He needs his dad in his life and I’m happy he looks at me like a superhero. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”
This comes as Liam’s tragic finals hours before he fell to his death were released in court documents earlier this month.
Rogelio “Roger” Nores and two staff members at the hotel had been charged with manslaughter but were cleared, it was revealed in February.
Liam James Payne was born August 29, 1993, and was an English singer and songwriter.
He shot to fame as a member of the global boyband phenomenon One Direction.
Liam made his debut as a singer when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008.
After being eliminated as a solo artist he auditioned again in 2010 and was put into a group with four other contestants to form One Direction.
The band went on to sell 70 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful boybands of all time.
They group parted ways in 2015, when they went on a hiatus.
Liam has amassed his fortune through being in One Direction, his solo career and touring.
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Documents show the court has granted power of administration of his estate to Cheryl
