Woman forces mother on deathbed to sign will to cut brother out of inheritance. Court declares it invalid | Trending

A woman who was accused of coercing her terminally ill mother into signing a will that cut her son out of the inheritance has lost a legal battle in court, reported The Star. The will was a homemade document drafted the daughter using an online template. (Pexel) Margaret Baverstock, 76, was terminally ill and barely responsive when she signed a will in March 2021, cutting out her son, John, and leaving everything to her daughter Lisa. Just eight days later, Margaret passed away. John, 61, contested the will, arguing that his mother was too mentally frail to understand what she was signing. He also claimed the signing was “not the independent act of the deceased,” pointing to video evidence that showed her struggling to respond while signing the document. Judge rules will invalidThe Central London County Court heard that Margaret had been diagnosed with dementia in 2014 and that the will was a homemade document drafted Lisa using an online template. Lisa, 55, was named as the sole beneficiary and executor. John alleged that Lisa had become resentful towards him in the years before their mother’s death and had effectively cut him off from visiting her. A dispute between the siblings in February 2021 reportedly stemmed from Lisa’s suspicion that someone was trying to sell the family home without her knowledge. Lisa, who represented herself in court, defended her actions, insing that their mother was of sound mind and had made her wishes clear. Also read: Woman strips naked, screams on Southwest flight: Flyer’s unruly behaviour horrifies co-passengers “As to the will, it was basically how my mother wanted her wishes done,” she told the court. “She didn’t want my brother to inherit anything and made that perfectly clear to me over the course of the years.” She also claimed she had dedicated herself to caring for their mother full-time from 2019 onwards, while John had been largely absent. John, however, disputed this, stating that he had visited regularly until Lisa began preventing him from seeing their mother. After reviewing the case, the judge ruled that Margaret had died “intestate”—meaning there was no valid will. As a result, her £700,000 ( ₹7.85) estate will now be divided equally between John and Lisa. Also read: NYPD cop twerks, pole dances in music video: Detective divides police department