It’s often said that where there is a will, there is a war.  Inheritance can bring out the worst characteristics in humans. Such was the case when our client ordered a lie detector test in Lisburn for her uncle, Colin.

Helen’s case

It has been over two years since Helen’s grandparents had died. She knew that her grandfather had left her brother Jack, cousin Kerry and her something in his Will. She asked Jack if he knew why they hadn’t heard anything by now. He told her to ring their uncle Colin to find out. So she did. Colin told her that the money her granddad had left her was taking its time due to probate and the solicitors. It was also complicated he’d said because there was a lot to sort out.

A few more months passed and Helen still hadn’t heard anything.  She decided to look into it herself. After getting all the relevant numbers she contacted the solicitors.  To her surprise and horror the Will had been changed a few months before her grandfather died. Probate had been granted over a year and half ago. Her uncle had received all the money from the bank accounts and saving bonds. It was just the house that needed to be sold.

Grandfather changed his Will

The original will stated that because Helen and Jack’s dad died when they were just children they would inherit their father’s share of the estate.  It was supposed to be 50/50 between their dad and his brother Colin. Then Colin would also have to give his daughter, Kerry, £25,000 out of his inheritance.

When Helen got off the phone with the solicitor she couldn’t believe it. Instead of being 50/50 the new Will stated that her and her brother and cousin were only getting £10,000 each!!!  The solicitor was no longer an executor. He had been replaced by Colin and his wife, Pat.  The solicitor had helped only to get the Grant of Probate. He hadn’t even drawn up the new Will! It appeared to be one that had been downloaded from the internet he said.  Helen asked him to send her 3 copies of the new Will so that they each had a copy.

She couldn’t believe her grandfather would have changed the Will.  A few years earlier their grandmother died of a sudden heart attack and her uncle Colin and his wife moved in with him to make sure he was safe and looked after.  But why would he do this? None of it made sense.  Her granddad was suffering from dementia and clearly wouldn’t have known what he was doing as it was so out of character.  He’d had the same solicitor for years and would never have used a standard download from the internet.

Lie Detector Test in Lisburn refused

Sitting down for a while, trying to come to terms with it all, she rang her uncle. She told him that she has seen the new Will and couldn’t believe it was true.  He said that this was what his dad always wanted but Helen didn’t buy it. She had seen the previous Will so clearly he was telling lies. Colin was adamant that nothing untoward had happened. He was solely carrying out his dad’s wishes. “So you won’t mind taking a lie detector test in Lisburn then?” Helen asked. He refused.

Helen said she would contest the Will and speak to the police to investigate whether any form of fraud had been committed.

Later that day Colin’s wife called Helen and said Colin had mentioned the lie detector test in Lisburn. Pat was certain there had been no wrongdoing and she was surprised that Colin refused to take the test.  His reluctance to take it had made her suspicious.  She’d asked him if he’d told the truth about everything and he’d assured her that he had.  Since that was the case, Pat told him he should take the polygraph test.  In fact she’d insisted that he took it because he had nothing to hide. Given no choice Colin had agreed but only if Helen paid for it. Pat knew that Helen was struggling to make ends meet so transferred the money for the test into her bank account.

Day of reckoning

Colin took the lie detector test in Lisburn. During the pre-test interview he admitted to our polygraph examiner that the reason he’d not used his father’s normal solicitor to change the Will was because he knew the solicitor would advise against it.

The results of the test indicated that Colin had coerced his father into signing the new Will. Helen was devastated thinking about what her grandfather may have gone through.  Colin’s wife was very upset and is not sure that she can forgive him.

Helen demanded that Colin sent all beneficiaries what they were due in the terms of the previous Will. Failure to do so within a week, she told him, would result in her taking legal action.  Colin complied. However, the family rift may never be healed.

Inheritance issues

Do you feel someone is lying to you about your inheritance?  Contact us to find out how a lie detector test in Lisburn or elsewhere can help you.

For free consultations, call 85 176 3360 for Limerick, Cork, Galway, and Athlone or 87 350 9962 for Dublin and Drogheda.

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