The peril of losing a million-dollar inheritance within a year

Sole beneficiary of father's house finds herself out in the cold when she is disinherited in a later will

- Tan Ooi Boon Invest Editor

Nothing can blow family harmony to smithereens quite like a disputed will, as a warring brother and sister know only too well.

The fuse was lit when the sister was named in her father's will as the sole beneficiary of a multimillion-dollar house. It all seemed quite straightforward, even endearing, given that the patriarch had referred to her as "my loving daughter".

But the woman suddenly found herself out in the cold when her father made a second will that disinherited her and left everything to her brother.

Naturally, she cried foul, claiming it was not possible that her father would change his mind for no reason unless she "had made him very angry or had done something very wrong".

She contended that her father, who was 89 when the first will was drawn up in October 2011, did not understand what he was doing when he signed the second will in November 2012.

This bequeathed all his assets, including the house, to her brother while leaving nothing to her and three other siblings.

The daughter argued that this later will, which was prepared by her brother with a lawyer's help, was signed under suspicious circumstances as the lawyer was not even present to advise the father. Instead, only two friends of the family were there to witness the signing.

To add to her suspicions, her father was admitted to hospital twice in the three days before the signing due to hernia pain.

The daughter cited his hospital papers, which appeared to describe the elderly man's condition in eyebrow-raising terms such as "Alzheimer's disease" and "he cannot remember".

The fractious case provides a compelling reason for everyone to make legacy plans early to avoid their wills being challenged, on claims that the documents were not properly signed due to the infirmity of old age.