Excluded from Will

rustyg

My Grandmother died a few weeks ago. She had two children (my mother and uncle) and two grandchildren (my sister and me).

My mother and uncle claim that my grandmother did not have a will and they can therefore share all her assets 50-50. I believe that my grandmother showed me her will a few years ago and it contained a portion for each grandchild.

I don't wish to cause family strife because I may be wrong but I'd like to conduct some private research before opening the proverbial can of worms.

Is there a central register of wills that I could check? She lived in a reasonably large town and I suspect that she might have lodged her will at a local solicitor's but I'm not sure which, if any. There must be dozens of possibilities in the town so I'm not sure how to approach them.

Any suggestions about how I could go about this task?

Thanks, Rusty

Nicki

You just need to approach one solicitor. They will then contact the others in the area on your behalf, and if that doesn't reap any rewards, will advertise for you nationally in the Solicitors trade journal. All solicitors do maintain good records so they will definitely be able to tell you if they are holding the original will, and will probably also be able to say if they drafted a will for her, even if they aren't still holding it. The other obvious place to check is her bank, who may be holding the original for her. You may need a copy of the death certificate though to prove she is dead.

sloughflint

rustyg wrote: »

My Grandmother died a few weeks ago. She had two children (my mother and uncle) and two grandchildren (my sister and me).

My mother and uncle claim that my grandmother did not have a will and they can therefore share all her assets 50-50. I believe that my grandmother showed me her will a few years ago and it contained a portion for each grandchild.

I don't wish to cause family strife because I may be wrong but I'd like to conduct some private research before opening the proverbial can of worms.

Is there a central register of wills that I could check? She lived in a reasonably large town and I suspect that she might have lodged her will at a local solicitor's but I'm not sure which, if any. There must be dozens of possibilities in the town so I'm not sure how to approach them.

Any suggestions about how I could go about this task?

Thanks, Rusty

I wouldn't go down the solicitor route just yet. I'd try the open discussion with family route first.
Why not explain what you remember and hopefully work on the matter as a united family.
That may trigger another search around the house or indeed if nothing found, a family agreement to share the estate differently rather than incur expense.

pinkshoes

A solicitor could cost you more money than the inheritance!

I'd just point out that your Grandmother DID have a will, because you remember seeing it. You don't have to mention what you thought it said.

Is there any problem with it being split 50/50 between your mum and uncle?

blackcoffee

not sure which way to read this ... poster are you saying (as the previous poster wrote) that you are not happy with the money going 50/50 to your mum & your uncle ? ?

OR do you think your mum is tying to fiddle you out of something you think is yours ? ?

sloughflint

pinkshoes wrote: »

You don't have to mention what you thought it said.

Why not?....

pinkshoes

sloughflint wrote: »

Why not?

Because money doesn't buy happiness, so there's no point rocking the boat. Just saying that you thought there was a will should be enough, that way there's no need to come across as a greedy money grabbing grandchild!

If my grandmother died and all her money went to her kids, then I'd be happy with that, as my parents/aunts/uncles deserve to be happy. I would never expect to receive anything from a will, even if my name was on it. I would always put family and happiness infront of money.

HelzBelz

Is there a reason you can't just talk to your mother

sloughflint

pinkshoes wrote: »

Because money doesn't buy happiness, so there's no point rocking the boat. Just saying that you thought there was a will should be enough, that way there's no need to come across as a greedy money grabbing grandchild!

If my grandmother died and all her money went to her kids, then I'd be happy with that, as my parents/aunts/uncles deserve to be happy. I would never expect to receive anything from a will, even if my name was on it. I would always put family and happiness infront of money.

Ok,I see so your comment was from a moral aspect than a practical one.

Well if the boat's going to be rocked ( suggestion of solicitors), I'm all for openness and honesty from the start rather than game playing.

silvercar

Did she actually show you her will, or did she tell you that she had put you in her will?

It just seems a little odd to give someone your will to read.

I had a similar issue but decided to keep quiet. Six months down the line my uncle wrote to me to say that he had persuaded his mother not to go to the legal expense of writing a will but that he would honour her wishes, in the letter was a cheque

pinkshoes

sloughflint wrote: »

Ok,I see so your comment was from a moral aspect than a practical one.

Well if the boat's going to be rocked ( suggestion of solicitors), I'm all for openness and honesty from the start rather than game playing.

If money means more to you than the risk of upsetting your family and causing a conflict, that's fair enough.