A grandad has left his grandchildren just $65 each from his $650,000 fortune, citing their infrequent visits as the reason.
In a recent court case, a grandfather named Frederick Ward Snr made headlines after he left only $65 to each of his five grandchildren from his estate worth $650,000.
This decision came as a surprise and disappointment to the grandchildren, who felt they deserved more.
Grandad leaves grandkids only $65 each from $650K fortune
Frederick Ward Snr passed away in 2020. He had two children, Terry and Susan, who received the majority of his wealth.
The grandchildren, who are the children of Frederick’s deceased son Fred Jr., were left with a mere $65 each.
This small amount sparked a significant family conflict.
Family legal battle arose over the decision of grandad
The grandchildren argued that they should have received a larger share of the money.
They believed their uncle Terry and aunt Susan had influenced their granddad to change his will, leaving them with almost nothing.
They felt that their lack of visits to their grandfather should not have led to such a harsh decision.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Frederick had been unhappy with his grandchildren’s limited contact with him.
He had expressed his disappointment to his legal representatives.
Grandad leaves grandkids a mere fortune for not visiting him frequently
According to evidence presented in court, he felt hurt that they did not visit him, especially during his hospital stays.
The five sisters including Carol, Angela, Amanda, Christine, and Janet decided to take legal action after learning about their small inheritance.
They claimed their grandfather’s will was not valid because they believed he was influenced by Terry and Susan.
They argued that their grandfather was not in a good state of mind when he made his will in 2018.
However, the judge, Master James Brightwell, dismissed their claims.
He stated that it was reasonable for Frederick to leave less to his grandchildren due to their limited contact.
The judge noted that the grandchildren had only made occasional visits to him in his later years.
Frederick Ward Snr had previously created a will that divided his estate among all his children, including Fred Jr.
However, after Fred Jr. passed away in 2015, the relationship between Frederick and his grandchildren deteriorated.
The judge pointed out that the grandchildren had not been in touch with their grandfather much after their father’s death.
The court also heard that Frederick had been very close to his son Terry and daughter Susan, which contributed to his decision.
Terry and Susan were present when the will was read, and this led to a heated argument among family members.
The judge had to listen to recordings of this argument during the trial.
The sisters claimed that Terry had a negative influence on their grandfather, alleging that he had made Frederick feel scared.
They also accused Susan of controlling their grandfather’s decisions.
However, Terry and his lawyer denied these allegations, stating that Frederick was a strong-willed man who made decisions for himself.
He said: “His strength of character is attested to by a close friend… Fred Snr would never be frightened by Terry or Sue.”
The judge stated Frederick’s choice to leave a small amount was reasonable.
He pointed out that the grandchildren’s lack of visits likely contributed to their grandfather’s feelings of disappointment.
The judge accepted that Frederick had expressed sadness over the lack of contact with his grandchildren, especially regarding family events.
In his ruling, Judge Brightwell noted that some may think it is fair for a grandparent to leave equal shares to grandchildren when a child has died.
However, Frederick’s choice was still valid.
He emphasized that a person has the right to distribute their wealth as they see fit.
“It is most likely that given the changed circumstances following Fred Jr’s death and the limited contact with the claimants after then Fred became disappointed with the claimants.
“I accept Susan’s evidence that her father complained that Fred Jr’s family did not care about him,” he said.