Seyedkazem Amini-Nejad died in 2023 at age 95, leaving behind estate documents that designated his eldest daughter, Ellahe, as the sole beneficiary of nearly $3.2 million in American holdings. Her younger sisters, Elham and Eman, initiated litigation alleging fraud, undue influence, and intentional interference with an expected inheritance after discovering the terms following their father's Tehran funeral. Although the drafting attorney maintained the decedent acted voluntarily, the sisters pointed to his limited English and a 2021 deed sharing his Tehran residence equally among all three daughters. The Maryland appellate court ordered a new hearing after finding the jury was given an impr…
Key points
The Appellate Court of Maryland reversed the Howard County Circuit Court jury verdict due…: The Appellate Court of Maryland reversed the Howard County Circuit Court jury verdict due to the flawed jury instruction.
The excluded daughters contend their father intended to divide assets equally, noting he…: The excluded daughters contend their father intended to divide assets equally, noting he previously deeded his Tehran family home to all three sisters.
The legal dispute will proceed to a new hearing to properly evaluate the claim of intenti…: The legal dispute will proceed to a new hearing to properly evaluate the claim of intentional interference with an expected inheritance under the lower standard of proof.
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An inheritance dispute over nearly $3.2 million in US assets left by an Iranian shipping businessman has returned to court after a Maryland appeals court overturned a jury's decision in favour of his eldest daughter. The case centres on whether Seyedkazem Amini-Nejad, who died in 2023 at the age of 95, understood the estate documents that left his American assets exclusively to one of his three daughters. In a ruling dated October 28, 2026, the Appellate Court of Maryland said the jury had been given an incorrect legal standard when considering the younger daughters' claim that their sister deliberately interfered with their expected inheritance.
Amini-Nejad had spent most of his life in Iran, where he co-owned a shipping company with two business partners. He travelled to the United States to visit his family and receive medical treatment. All three of his daughters lived in the US, and the eldest, Ellahe Amini-Nejad, had been involved in managing his finances and accompanying him to medical and legal appointments during his visits.
The dispute arose from estate-planning documents signed during a visit to…
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