Turning down an inheritance

londonsurrey

I also have really undesirable connections who have done the most horrendous things, that the rest of society expects me to maintain connections with, purely because it fits into their nice tidy expectations of their nice tidy lives.

I suspect that your best bet is to call CAB, who can point you in the right direction.
If you suffer from depression, (which ironically would be a perfectly sane reaction to horrific circumstances), then MIND offer a telephone helpline who can guide you over legal rights, even when it's about death and wills.

Good luck.

pigpen

if the letter was sent to a former address these people are already aware of your whereabouts.. and if they don't now, how long do you think it will it take to find your new address?

I'd speak to the solicitor dealing with it, see if you could find out who the executors are and ask about keeping your details private or get your own to conduct business with them.. I'd be tempted to ignore it though

GobbledyGook

Thank you for your kind replies. Having thought about it a little I'm not sure a public forum where I have posted quite a bit of information in the past after my marriage split was a wise place to put this so I have removed my posts.

I hope this is ok with everyone. I really appreciate the help and support.

thorsoak

Whilst I quite understand why you would wish to renounce an inheritance on your on behalf, I think you have a responsibility towards your children not to take their inheritance away - and I too would advocate that you speak to a solicitor in a different town to that in which you live, and ask them to deal with everything on your behalf - without disclosing any address details. I'm pretty certain that this can be done. Of course, you will incur solicitors' fees - but if the inheritance is substantial, it will still be a good start for your children.

thorsoak

GobbledyGook wrote: »

I'd rather my children were penniless and safe than in any way contactable by these people.

Unless I reply they'll not know I'm still connected to the address without a LOT of digging. I suppose a solicitor could probably find out all the details eventually.


It sounds like it could be possible to deal with it anonymously. I fully intend to tell them to give my share (of whatever) to the other beneficiaries or charity or whatever. I'm just really concerned that the inclusion of children of grandchildren means I'll have no choice, but to give my children's details as I may not have the right to turn it down on their behalf.

The solicitors handling the estate have a responibility to finding all beneficiaries, so they won't stop looking. Far better that you pre-empt this.

Mojisola

GobbledyGook wrote: »

I know how they've done that. They've just sent a speculative letter to my Grandparents old address (on both their death certificates) on the off-chance I still live there/own it/have left a forwarding address.

As executors they have a legal responsibility to make great efforts to find you. If you don't respond, they may continue for a while using other means as they will have to prove that they cannot find you and your children. Given the amount of information available about us these days, they will most likely succeed.

It's very difficult. If you make any response to the letter, even to say you are not interested in the inheritance, they will know that you are still connected with that address.

Given your difficult circumstances I would check that the solicitor's letter is for real. It could be an attempt to find you by the other person without any inheritance being involved. The offer of money can lure people to reply when they might not otherwise. I would also check that the person who is supposed to have died has done so recently.

BitterAndTwisted

I would not have any direct contact with this solicitor myself. Any monies forthcoming could be issued as a cheque to the OP's solicitor's client account, so they won't even be able to find out her name.

It sounds to me like the deceased's family/connections are not yet aware of the OP's married name and they don't appear to know that she has any children, so they are therefore unlikely to be able to find her until some direct contact is made.

abby1234519

You have a legal right to be protected from whomever you want to be protected from. If you don't want them to know who you are now then you don't have to.

*Louise*

GobbledyGook wrote: »

I'd rather my children were penniless and safe than in any way contactable by these people.

Unless I reply they'll not know I'm still connected to the address without a LOT of digging. I suppose a solicitor could probably find out all the details eventually.

Which is why I have advocated 1) ensuring the sollicitor won't pass on yoru details and 2) Getting your own solicitor (prefereble option). I wouldn't have suggested accepting the inheritance before making sure your children were safe.

They solictor would find you anyway. You must be on an electoral roll somewhere, and after the census this month your new details would be on record anyway

GobbledyGook

Thank you for your kind replies. Having thought about it a little I'm not sure a public forum where I have posted quite a bit of information in the past after my marriage split was a wise place to put this so I have removed my posts.

I hope this is ok with everyone. I really appreciate the help and support.