Probate search

GhostDog_2

Hmmm I have agreed to try and help here but....

A work colleague's grandmother died about 5 months ago and he was convinced she would have remembered him in her will but as yet has heard nothing.

He thinks the executors are another family member who he has not got on with for years and his grandmother's solicitor.

He is considering doing a search for probate but is concerned this will stir up a hornet's nest of family antagonism and arguments.

I know you guys are clever - would his relative as executor be informed if he requested a copy of his grandmother's will or probate details?

Thanks for reading.

Errata

He can request a copy of the will from the Probate Office if probate has been granted. The Probate Office will not inform anyone else that such request has been received or granted.

Savvy_Sue

He can also put a caveat if probate has NOT yet been granted. I'm not sure how that works, but it means probate won't be granted automatically, allowing time for disputes to be resolved.

However, I don't believe he HAS to be informed if he IS a beneficiary, and 5 months isn't so long.

GhostDog_2

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

However, I don't believe he HAS to be informed if he IS a beneficiary, and 5 months isn't so long.

So there is no legal obligation to inform a beneficiary? I think this is probably what he suspects but has maybe wrongly assumed he is legally entitled to be informed?

This situation has made me realise how painful this sort of situation can be as my friend is really affected by this in addition to his grief.

Savvy_Sue

Well, my understanding is that he is legally entitled to be informed, when he gets whatever it is, but not as soon as the person has died.

The idea of the 'reading of the will' is a myth: we picked Dad's up from the solicitors, and started sorting out who was going to do what. As it happens, we all knew what was in it, but we could not tell everyone what they were going to get: even now we've got probate there are still bits and pieces to sort out, so there will probably be ongoing payments!