Concerns about coerced Will rewriting

The case centres on a disputed Will. Louise Reeves is said to have bullied her ailing father into changing his will to leave most of his fortune to her, some £80m.

The claim brought her brother, Bill Reeves, who has seen his inheritance reduced from £30m to personal effects said to be worth £200,000, has accused his sister of having coerced their father into rewriting his Will. This change was said to be out of character and inexplicable, given that he had always had a good relationship with his father and that they were so close he had offered to donate a lung to his father, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Court heard that Kevin Reeves had, from humble beginnings, created a vast personal fortune through a property empire now worth up to £100m. Ms Reeves claims their father wanted her to inherit the fortune as he saw her as the heir to his business empire.

In cases where there might be doubt about the validity of a Will there are a number of grounds on which the Will might be challenged, depending on the circumstances:

• There might be concerns about the testator’s mental capacity
• Whether they knew they were making a will or understood its terms
• Whether a key beneficiary has applied undue influence to procure a Will in their favour
• There might even be concerns about whether the Will is genuine at all
• Whether there has been a fraud or forgery.

There is often an overlap between the different grounds, and a challenge to a Will can be brought on several grounds.