Court Nullifies Will After Niece and Nephew Exploited Elderly Aunt

A Tel Aviv Family Court has invalidated the will of a deceased elderly woman, ruling that her niece and nephew exploited her medical and mental state to gain control of her assets. Judge Gali Ron ordered the cancellation of a 2019 will that largely disinherited the woman's brother, replacing a 2009 will that divided her estate among four heirs, including the brother.

The case began after the woman's brother suffered a stroke in 2018, and the niece and nephew took over her care. The court found that the pair manipulated their aunt, convincing her that her brother had stolen her money and left her destitute, all to secure her inheritance and apartment. This manipulation occurred while the woman was in their care.

Evidence presented in court revealed that even before officially taking over her care in 2017, the niece and nephew had inexplicably transferred 241,000 shekels from the elderly woman's account to their own. Beyond the alleged financial fraud and incitement, Judge Ron identified serious legal flaws in the 2019 will's execution. The witnesses did not sign in the presence of the deceased, and the will was never read to her, neither in Hebrew nor in her native Persian.

The court concluded that the niece and nephew exploited the woman's complete dependence on them to create a will that benefited them. The ruling reinstated the original 2009 will and ordered the niece and nephew to pay 59,000 shekels in legal costs.