In a British court ruling, it was determined that a 91-year-old ex-serviceman, identified as Frederick Ward Sr. in a report by the Daily Mail, had the right to allocate a mere 50 pounds to each of his five grandchildren from a total estate valued at 500,000 pounds, as he felt "hurt" by their infrequent visits.
According to the Daily Mail, Frederick Ward passed away in 2020, leaving behind an estate that sparked familial discord when he bequeathed nearly all of it, including a 450,000-pound apartment, to two of his offspring.
The grandchildren, daughters of Ward's deceased son Fred Jr. since 2015, found themselves excluded from a significant portion of their grandfather's inheritance, purportedly due to their perceived lack of attention during his hospitalizations for a lung ailment.
Following Fred Jr.'s passing, tensions escalated within the family, culminating in a legal challenge from the five sisters who sought a share of their late father's purported one-third entitlement to their grandfather's estate.
Their legal action alleged that undue influence from their aunt and uncle swayed Frederick Ward's decision to omit them from the will. However, the High Court dismissed their claims, affirming the elderly gentleman's sound judgment and rationality in allocating a nominal sum to his grandchildren given their limited interaction with him.
The judge found no evidence to support the contention of undue influence and concluded that the inheritance distribution was lawful. The court proceedings reportedly included the airing of a recording capturing a heated dispute among the siblings when the will was disclosed by their uncle.
