Man tells judge his dog stops him working in court fight over late designer partner’s £1m estate

NewsUKHome NewsMan tells judge his dog stops him working in court fight over late designer partner’s £1m estateTibor Matyas is seeking ‘maintenance’ payments from the estateNevile Ayling Tuesday 28 April 2026 09:19 BSTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":false,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2966210","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tibor-matys-chris-liu-estate-will-b2966210.html","title":"Man tells judge his dog stops him working in fight over late partner’s £1m estate"}}open image in gallery{"id":"trigger-autogallery-3419","index":0}Tibor Matyas outside the High Court after a hearing in the dispute over the estate of Chris Liu (Champion News)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read more{}A man who claims his dog prevents him from working is embroiled in a legal battle over the £1m estate of his late partner, a prominent man-bag designer.Tibor Matyas, described as the “romantic and business partner” of the late fashion guru Chris Liu, says he was financially "dependent" on the designer. Now, facing unemployment and the costs associated with pet care, among other challenges, Mr Matyas is seeking “maintenance” payments from Mr Liu’s estate.if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", renderedAtParagraph: 3'); }if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "mpu1", injectedAtParagraph: 3'); }Mr Liu, a graduate of the London College of Fashion, initially gained recognition as a womenswear designer, selling his creations to high-end retailers like Harvey Nichols and reportedly counting celebrities such as Kylie Minogue and Sade among his clients, before specialising in luxury man-bags.He passed away in 2017 at the age of 47, leaving behind an estate valued at over £1m. This substantial inheritance is now the subject of a dispute involving Mr Matyas, Mr Liu's family in China, and the estate's administrator.Upon the designer's death, Mr Matyas, 49, who collaborated with Mr Liu on the management and marketing of their “Chris and Tibor” label, inherited a jointly owned London apartment valued at £470,000. if (document.cookie.split(';').some(cookie => cookie.trim() === '__DEBUG__=true')) { console.log('Ad logs: "taboola-carousel-thumbnails", injectedAtParagraph: 6'); }He was also bequeathed a 25 per cent…

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