A disappointed British grandpa has decided to leave his adult grandkids merely a symbolic amount, because they did not bother to visit him regularly. But the grandchildren were shocked by his decision, and decided to take the matter to court.
A grandpa decided to teach his grandkids a lesson with his will.
In 2020, Frederick Ward Snr passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind an estate valued at £500,000. The majority of his inheritance was allocated to two of his children, Terry Ward and Susan Wiltshire. Nevertheless, tensions arose within the family when it was revealed that Ward left his deceased son’s, Fred Jr., five adult children with a mere £50 each, distributed discreetly in envelopes. This distribution of assets sparked a contentious dispute among family members.
His adult grandchildren didn’t bother to visit the man.
Ward Snr expressed his dissatisfaction to his legal representatives, stating that he felt upset due to the absence of visits from his son Fred’s children during his three hospitalizations for a lung condition. Apparently, the relationship between Ward Snr and his granddaughters had gone cold years ago, after their father passed away, and the 5 women stopped visiting their grandpa regularly.
The grandkids tried taking the matter to court, but they were left with £50 each as per the original will.
The granddaughters initiated legal action, alleging that their grandfather’s final will from 2018 was void because it was purportedly made during a period when he was unwell and afraid of his son Terry, who allegedly pressured him into creating it. They also accused Susan, Fred Snr’s daughter and caregiver during his final years, of exercising «undue influence» over their grandfather.
However, their lawsuit was dismissed by High Court judge Master James Brightwell. He deemed it entirely reasonable for the grandfather, who felt disappointed, to exclude his grandchildren due to their minimal interaction with him in his last years. Master Brightwell concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that Terry coerced his father or that Susan exerted undue control over him.
Although people usually leave their wealth to their kids, grandkids and other family members, some others might decide to write relatives out of the will. Whether it’s because of a personal disagreement, or simply they want to donate to other causes. Last year, Mick Jagger announced that he was thinking of donating his millions to charity, instead of leaving them to his kids.