A daughter who was left just £250 in her father’s Will has successfully challenged it in court, securing a share of his £600,000 estate.
Laxmikant Patel, 85, died in October 2021, leaving his home entirely to his eldest daughter, Anju, while giving his younger daughter, Bhavenetta, and his son, Piyush, only £250 each. Anju claimed he made this decision because he believed his other children were “only after his property” and showed him little affection.
However, the 2021 Will was made while Laxmikant was terminally ill in hospital, raising doubts about its validity. His earlier 2019 Will had divided the estate almost equally among all three children.
Bhavenetta argued that the final Will was made under “a cloud of suspicion,” pointing to concerns about how it was signed and whether Laxmikant understood its contents, especially as English was not his first language.
After reviewing the evidence, the High Court agreed and ruled the 2021 Will invalid. The judge reinstated the 2019 Will , calling the later document “highly suspicious” due to lack of proper execution and concerns over influence and control during Laxmikant’s final months.
This judgment restores the more balanced distribution he had previously intended, giving all siblings a fairer share of his estate.
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