A son has successfully challenged the validity of his late mother’s £700,000 will after a court ruled that she was unable to sign it independently, as reported by The Telegraph.
A crucial video showed his sister placing a pen in their dying mother’s hand and physically moving it to sign over her entire estate.
Margaret Baverstock, 76, was severely ill with advanced dementia, arthritis, and suspected lung congestion when she signed the will in March 2021. Just eight days later, she passed away, leaving her wealth – including her home in Herne Hill, south London—to her daughter, Lisa Baverstock, 55.
Her son, John Baverstock, 61, contested the will, arguing that it was “not the independent act of the deceased” but rather a staged event in which Lisa manipulated their mother’s hand to execute a document she did not understand.
Presiding over the case, Judge Jane Evans-Gordon ruled that the will was invalid, stating that Margaret Baverstock “had no idea what was going on” at the time of signing. She found that Lisa Baverstock had physically manipulated her mother’s hand to sign the document.
Video evidence, presented in court by Lisa Baverstock herself, showed that their mother could barely respond beyond grunts and saying “yeah” when addressed. The footage depicted Lisa repeatedly attempting to place a pen in her mother’s hand before ultimately guiding her hand to sign.
Judge Evans-Gordon noted that Margaret’s signature on the will “bore no resemblance” to her genuine signature from 2017. The court also found that no efforts had been made to confirm Margaret’s understanding of the document’s contents.
The will, drafted by Lisa Baverstock using an online template, named her as the sole beneficiary and executor.
John Baverstock argued that his sister had become suspicious and hostile toward him after moving into their mother’s home in 2019 as her caregiver. Their conflict escalated in February 2021 when Lisa accused John of trying to sell the property without her knowledge and demanded he return his keys.
In court, Lisa defended the will, insisting that her mother had been mentally sound and had long expressed her wish for her daughter to inherit everything. She claimed to have made sacrifices to care for her mother full-time, while her brother had shown little interest. During cross-examination, Lisa asked her brother:
“Do you recall Mum telling you to get out of the house?”
John responded:
“I don’t recall that. The only person who tried to get me out of the house was my sister – you.”
Judge Evans-Gordon ruled that Margaret Baverstock lacked the necessary “testamentary capacity” and did not understand or approve the contents of the will. As there was no other valid will, she was declared intestate.
As a result, her £700,000 estate must now be split equally between John and Lisa Baverstock. In addition, Lisa must pay her brother’s legal costs, which could amount to £80,000.
