Bern Rogers, 71, has been awarded £127,500 after a six-and-a-half-year legal dispute with her siblings over the care she provided for their dementia-stricken mother, Sheila Wills. Rogers was initially reported to the police for theft and fraud after withdrawing £100,000 from her mother's estate following her death in April 2020.
Rogers insisted she had cared for her mother 24 hours a day for two and a half years and that Mrs. Wills had agreed she should be compensated. The mother moved from Norfolk to live with Bern Rogers and her husband Jon in Bristol in September 2017 after experiencing difficulties living independently. Initially planned as a short stay, the arrangement became permanent as Mrs. Wills's dementia progressed.
Jon Rogers, a retired GP, described the care as a "24-hour job," stating that he and his wife had to put their lives on hold, with one of them always needing to be present to care for Mrs. Wills. Bern Rogers recounted the emotional toll, describing her mother's anxiety and distress as her cognitive abilities declined.
Following Mrs. Wills's death, Rogers transferred £100,000 from the estate into a separate account. This action led to a police investigation and criminal prosecution, with her siblings raising concerns about potential fraud. Rogers described the ordeal of standing trial as "absolutely horrifying."
After her acquittal, Rogers initiated civil proceedings, arguing that her siblings had received their shares of the estate, which was valued at over £400,000 including the sale of her mother's home, while she received nothing. The High Court ruled in 2025 that Rogers had an informal contract with her mother for payment for her care, and even without a contract, the estate had benefited through unjust enrichment.
A subsequent hearing in August determined the compensation amount, with the court awarding Rogers £150 per day for 850 days of care, totaling £127,500. Rogers stated that her mother had insisted on being paid for her care and did not want charity, expressing her desire for things to be sorted with her siblings.
Andrew Wills, the executor of the estate and one of Rogers's siblings, called the judgment "disappointing" and questioned the existence of a contract, doubting his mother would agree to commercial care rates. He stated that the family was unaware of any contract beyond a £50 per week allowance and expenses for Rogers, and that they had attempted to offer a gratuity. The estate is appealing the quantum of the judgment, arguing it is more than it would have cost to place Mrs. Wills in a commercial care home.
Rogers expressed hope that her case could set a precedent to help other family caregivers facing similar disputes. She also spoke of the deep estrangement from her siblings, calling it "shocking and devastating" that they all gave statements against her during the criminal proceedings. She believes her mother would have been "terribly upset" by the family's fallout.