Doreen Stock, who passed away aged 86, had originally intended to leave her entire estate to her 39-year-old great-nephew, Ben Chiswick, who was living in the United States. The will naming Chiswick as the beneficiary was drawn up when he was a baby.
However, following a dispute with Chiswick’s parents, Patricia and Brent, whom she referred to as “the rats”, Stock decided to revise her will. The disagreement arose after the family suggested she move into a care home, which she found deeply upsetting.
In 2020, Stock updated her will, leaving her estate to another nephew, Simon Stock, and his wife, Catherine, both of whom resided in London. Simon Stock, a tax adviser, had been actively supporting his great-aunt and was described as “the nearest thing to a son” she had, living close by and assisting her with daily tasks. Chiswick had not communicated regularly with Stock after moving to the United States.
Chiswick contested the updated will, claiming that Stock had been a fixture in his childhood and that she may have lacked mental capacity due to dementia. The case was heard at Central London County Court.
Judge Jane Evans-Gordon ruled that while Stock’s criticisms of Chiswick’s parents were unfair, they did not render her actions irrational. The judge confirmed that Stock had the mental capacity to make decisions about her estate and was profoundly upset by the suggestion of moving into a care home. As a result, the ruling stands and the estate will be inherited by Simon Stock and his wife.
The estate primarily consists of a residential property in Mottingham, southeast London, valued at approximately £400,000.
