I can't believe my father never left a will!

MrsJam

Hi All, I asked for advice a few months back because we had heard nothing about my fathers will. I took the advice given and had a standing search done. I have been informed that there is no will. This seems odd as my dad mentioned to my sister that his children were in it. He married my stepmother just over ten years ago and they moved away, so didn't get to see him very often. None of the family have ever been close to my stepmother with good reason. Is it possible she could be hiding the will so we can't claim our inheritance?

Mips

MrsJam wrote: »

Hi All, I asked for advice a few months back because we had heard nothing about my fathers will. I took the advice given and had a standing search done. I have been informed that there is no will. This seems odd as my dad mentioned to my sister that his children were in it. He married my stepmother just over ten years ago and they moved away, so didn't get to see him very often. None of the family have ever been close to my stepmother with good reason. Is it possible she could be hiding the will so we can't claim our inheritance?

Erm.. it's possible.. but you should really seek legal advice to contest a will if there was one.. or claim your share for you family

Mojisola

We had this happen in our family - the will didn't give the person who found it as much as the Intestacy Rules would and so the will was "lost". People who had been told that they were "taken care of" in the will received nothing.

MrsJam

I'm quite sure there was a will as he was that type of person. Everything legal and financial had to be sorted. But if my stepmother is hiding the will how can I prove it?

beer_tins

Do you know who his solicitor was? The solicitor might have a copy of the will if he made one there...

skylight

Until you find a will, you can never prove she was/is hiding one.

It may be worth doing a round-robin type thing to all local solicitors just on the off chance they have one.

MrsJam

Thanks all. I don't know which solicitors if any were used for the will. The reason i'm suspicious is because my stepmothers 'daughter', (not her real daughter but treats her like one) is a legal secretary and my sister is certain this woman told her years ago that she is the executor of my fathers will. There is something very underhand about it all.

roddydogs

A good reason to let a bank or solicitor keep the will-not in a draw !

AnnieM_3

If your Father made the will before he re-married, it will (I think) have been rendered null and void.

This happened to the friend of someone I know - the new wife got everything, and disappeared with it. We later found out it possibly wasn't the first time she had done this.

If you think there may be some sort of fraud involved, maybe the CAB can help with some advice, or your own solicitor?

Good luck

MrsJam

Hi Annie, thanks for that. I know he made a new will after he re-married because he asked a member of our family to be executor of it. Nothing more came of this because we know my stepmothers 'daughter' became the eventual executor of the will.

Mojisola

MrsJam wrote: »

The reason i'm suspicious is because my stepmothers 'daughter', (not her real daughter but treats her like one) is a legal secretary and my sister is certain this woman told her years ago that she is the executor of my fathers will. There is something very underhand about it all.

If someone who is a legal secretary is involved in this, then I am sure her firm would want to know about it - it depends how sure you are of the facts.