A barrister has lost a legal battle over a £1.2 million inheritance after being accused of forging his mother’s signature to cut his younger brother out of the estate.
Robert Grierson, 56, a specialist in tax and will disputes, had been handed the majority of their mother Elise’s estate, while his brother, Duncan, was left with only £10,000.
The High Court heard that Elise, aged 84, changed her will dramatically just 16 days after the death of her husband in January 2022.
Prior to his passing, the brothers had been treated equally in their mother’s plans. Robert, however, claimed that she had signed a trust declaration in 2013, giving him a half-share of her £1 million home in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.
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Duncan challenged this version of events, arguing that the document and will were invalid. The court ruled in his favor, with Judge Joanne Wicks KC finding “compelling evidence” that Elise had not signed the trust document herself.
Additionally, the will was deemed improperly witnessed, and the judge raised concerns about whether Elise was mentally sound at the time of its creation.
The judge made no direct findings regarding Robert’s alleged involvement in forgery, as he was not present in court to defend himself.
Duncan’s legal team presented expert evidence suggesting that the signature on the 2013 document appeared to be a simulation, likely created by someone other than Elise.
They also pointed out the presence of “indentation tracing guidelines,” which suggested the signature had been copied rather than signed authentically.
Robert’s defense was struck out after he failed to disclose crucial evidence. As a result, Judge Wicks ruled that Duncan’s case had been proven, stating that Robert may have used fraud to acquire assets worth £500,000.
The case has drawn attention for the complex legal and familial disputes surrounding inheritance, with Duncan now set to inherit a fair share of the estate that had been previously contested.