Its interesting to wonder what a solicitor would advise on either side.
Lets say the one sister goes to a solicitor, cries her eyes out, explains how she has given up everything for Daddy and cared for him in his dying days, and that she has nowhere to go etc.,etc. Solicitor advises her that under the Rules of Intestacy, none of that matters and she is still in a better position than before as she is getting a share of the estate etc.,etc. She says is there nothing I can do? Well, solicitor says ( and is quite likely to say this is not recommended) you could get thick, dig your heels in, claim for work done as a debt on the estate , drag things out for years, work on the basis that the rest of the family won't have the nerve/inclination/interest in dealing with the problem and let you stay there forever or decide that they don't want their share or give you their share. Or you could buy out the rest of them.
Now, rest of them go to another solicitor and that solicitor says under the Rules of Intestacy, none of that matters and she is still in a better position than before as she is getting a share of the estate etc.,etc. BUT one or more of you is gonna have to grab the bull by the horns and take out a Grant and face up to the sister and sort the mess out and if you don't do that ( and a lot of families find it too hard to face down one disgruntled sibling) she could get thick, dig her heels in, claim for work done as a debt on the estate , drag things out for years, work on the basis that the rest of the family won't have the nerve/inclination/interest in dealing with the problem and let her stay there forever or decide that they don't want their share or give her their share. Or she could buy you all out.
What is even more interesting of course is what the parties decide to do now that they know the ramifications of likely actions.
mf