Inheritance Dispute: Grandchildren Receive £50 From £500k Fortune Due To Lack Of Visits

A family feud erupts over unequal inheritances.

Davy

• Published in Interesting
• March 10, 2024

In a contentious decision, a man allocated only £50 from his £500,000 fortune to his grandchildren, citing insufficient visitation as the rationale. This unexpected distribution has ignited a dispute within the family, raising questions about fairness and familial obligations in matters of inheritance.

Frederick Ward Snr, disappointed by his grandchildren's infrequent visits, left them a mere £50 each in his will, a judge has ruled. His decision sparked a family feud as he allocated almost his entire £500,000 fortune, including a £450,000 flat, to two of his children upon his 2020 passing.

Ward discounted his deceased son Fred Jr's five daughters, expressing his upset over their lack of visits during his hospitalizations for a lung condition.

Upon learning of their near-disinheritance, Fred's five granddaughters – Carol Gowing, Angela St Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward, and Janet Pett – took legal action, claiming entitlement to a third of their late grandfather's estate. High Court judge Master James Brightwell has now ruled that the 2018 will was "entirely rational," emphasizing the grandchildren's "very limited contact" with their "disappointed" grandfather.

Dismissing their case, Master Brightwell remarked, "Some may take the view that, as a general proposition, when a testator's child has predeceased him, he generally ought to leave an equal share of his residue to that child's issue."

"The decision not to equally distribute the residue of the estate among his surviving children cannot be considered unreasonable," stated Judge Brightwell. "The sisters argued that the 2018 will was 'invalid' and accused Uncle Terry Ward and Aunt Susan Wiltshire of 'undue influence' over their grandfather's decision to change his will.

However, Judge Brightwell concluded that 'the evidence does not come close to persuading me' that Terry had coerced his father or that Susan had controlled him to the extent of casting doubt on his will."

Fred Snr had previously created a will that divided his estate evenly among all three of his children. However, when Fred Jr passed away before his father in 2015, family tensions arose, resulting in Mr. Ward having limited contact with Fred Jr's side of the family.

When Mr. Ward's will was read by Terry after his death, a bitter argument ensued, captured on recording and presented to the court, as it was revealed that the five sisters had been largely excluded. Each sister received an envelope containing £50 in cash from their Uncle Terry.

Master Brightwell noted that the sisters' lack of visits to their grandfather in the hospital was partly due to not being informed of his admissions, which occurred frequently, and also because communication between the parties had ceased. Additionally, he observed that the five sisters had made only sporadic and brief visits to see their grandfather, whereas he maintained a close relationship with his son Terry and daughter-in-law Susan.

"It is highly probable that Fred became disillusioned with the claimants due to the changed circumstances following Fred Jr's passing and the minimal contact with them thereafter," stated Master Brightwell. He cleared both Terry and Susan of any influence over their father in excluding his granddaughters, asserting, "The evidence does not come close to persuading me that it is more likely than not that the 2018 will was influenced by the undue influence of the defendants or either of them."

Additionally, the judge dismissed claims regarding Mr. Ward's capacity to create the 2018 will or its validity due to a lack of knowledge and approval of its consequences.

Davy