Woman loses £400,000 inheritance after her aunt branded family as The Rats

A woman who was excluded from her great-aunt’s £400,000 estate has lost a legal challenge after a judge ruled that the pensioner had understood the decision to change her will. Doreen Stock, who died aged 86 in 2021, disinherited her great-nephew Ben Chiswick following a bitter family disagreement over a proposed care home stay.

Stock reportedly referred to Chiswick’s parents as ‘The Rats’ after becoming upset by the suggestion. Despite claims that dementia had affected her judgment, the court found that she had retained the mental capacity required to make a valid will.Why was the £400,000 inheritance challenge rejectedAccording to The Independent, Ben Chiswick challenged his great-aunt’s will at Central London County Court, arguing that she had been suffering from dementia and was not capable of properly understanding the consequences of disinheriting him.Chiswick, a propulsion engineer living in the United States, said he had enjoyed a particularly happy relationship with Stock throughout his childhood.