Frederick Ward Snr Leaves Fortune to Children Terry Ward and Susan Wiltshire: Grandchildren Disinherited

The decision by Frederick Ward Snr, 91, to leave almost all of his fortune to his children Terry Ward and Susan Wiltshire, excluding his late son’s children, has sparked a bitter family feud. The five sisters of Fred Jr, Carol Gowing, Angela St Marseille, Amanda Higginbotham, Christine Ward, and Janet Pett, were left with just £50 each from their grandfather’s £500,000 estate.

The sisters argued that their Uncle Terry and Aunt Susan had unduly influenced their grandfather into changing his will, but a High Court judge ruled that the 2018 will was ‘entirely rational’ given the limited contact the grandchildren had with their grandfather in his later years.

Master James Brightwell dismissed the sisters’ claims of coercion and lack of capacity on the part of Mr. Ward, stating that there was no evidence to suggest that the will was invalid. The judge also noted that Mr. Ward had expressed disappointment at the lack of visits from his late son’s children, which may have influenced his decision to leave them out of his will.

The bitter family dispute came to a head when the will was read out, and the sisters were shocked to receive just £50 each from their grandfather’s estate. Despite their disappointment, the judge upheld Mr. Ward’s decision to leave the majority of his fortune to his surviving children, Terry and Susan.

The case serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of maintaining family relationships and communication, as well as the complexities of estate planning and inheritance.