Family embroiled in dispute over father's will
24 Feb 2010
A legal battle is going on at the High Court amid allegations that
two women coerced their father into changing his will in their
favour.
George Key died aged 89 in August 2008 and a will drawn up in 2001
decreed that his sons would inherit his Norfolk farm while his
daughters would share a payout of GBP 15,000.
However, after he passed away, it was found that a new document had
been signed in 2006 which left GBP 300,000 each to Jane Key and
Mary Boykin.
Richard and John Key claim that this went against their father's
wishes and maintain that the elderly farmer had been forced into
changing his will after their sisters plied him with sleeping
tablets and alcohol.
This, combined with his grief over the death of their mother,
persuaded him to sign a document which he would not otherwise have
done, the two men claim.
It is also alleged that a housekeeper witnessed Mr Key Senior
saying that he had been asked to sign something by Ms Key and Ms
Boykin, but he could not remember what.
The daughters maintain that the 2006 will represents what their
father wanted, as the larger payout was proportionate to the land
their brothers were to inherit.
"It didn't seem to matter to them to force my father to make a will
… I knew my father, he wouldn't have wanted that," Richard Key
said.
The case continues.
In January 2010, a will was successfully overturned by the family
of philanthropist Catherine Devas, who had left her estate to a
carer.
However, it was discovered that the woman had exerted "undue
influence" over the elderly lady and had persuaded her to change an
existing document which favoured her relatives.
Mandeep Chima, a dispute resolution solicitor and a specialist
in contested wills at Hodge Jones & Allen LLP comments:
“It is quite common for members of a family to feel that a loved
one, particularly when elderly or vulnerable, has been influenced
to change their will. The Courts will require sight of strong
evidence in support of such a claim, but if satisfied, can set
aside the disputed will in favour of an earlier will, or the rules
of intestacy can be applied to the estate.
“At Hodge Jones & Allen, our dispute resolution solicitors are
experienced in dealing with sensitive cases of this nature. We
understand that it is a stressful time for grieving members of a
family who are in dispute over the assets of a loved
one. Should you know of anyone that has been influenced to
change their will, you can contact a member of our team for
impartial advice.”
