Suspicious of Will outcome!

Simon32uk

Hi there,

I hope I am putting this in the right place as I am new on here but looking for some advice from this kind and knowledgeable community if possible.

Been through a difficult time and recently lost a parent. I was always told a will was made and was aware that there was going to be a small amount of funds (not a fortune) left to me. I always suspected there was going to be a few thousand pound to split between me and other siblings. Obviously, it's not a main concern about money in times like this but feel it was the wishes to leave us kids what was left is only right.

The situation that makes us suspicious something isn't right was our parent lived with his brother and didn't really spend anything in the last 3 years at all as he was too ill to go out and about and was also receiving a disability allowance. To our knowledge there was quite a bit of inheritance left to our parent from when his mother passed a few years before.

Our uncle was made the executor of the will and between the 2 of us siblings have received around £200 each from our uncle's account in the form of a cheque. We recall not so long ago before all this, that our parent told us they had around 7k cashed in from bonds and other accounts with money in.

Our parent made us very aware that us siblings were the only people in the will to receive items/assets/funds and always kept a close check on details of our address and things for any updating the will. Our uncle hasn't shown us a copy of the will and has not really explained too much about any of it. All that was mentioned there was hardly anything left at all which just doesn't seem to make sense for someone who never left the house and didn't spend a penny.

I feel bad thinking wrong of my uncle or sounding like we are out for money, but I can't seem to stop thinking like a gut feeling something isn't correct with this situation. We don't want to throw any accusations and feel very akward to approach our uncle with questions like this, so another route hopefully is possible to find out.

If anyone has any advice what we can do, I'd highly appreciate it just so we can put our minds to rest. It's really not about the money at all for us but we feel we have to know that it's been dealt with fairly and correctly as our parent wished.

Thanks in advance.

geminilady

I am sure there will be lots of replies tomorrow but my first thought was money spent on a funeral?they can cost around £3000,saying that I believe you have a right to see a copy of the will as it does seem strange if he had £7000 plus.

Simon32uk

geminilady wrote: »

I am sure there will be lots of replies tomorrow but my first thought was money spent on a funeral?they can cost around £3000,saying that I believe you have a right to see a copy of the will as it does seem strange if he had £7000 plus.

There was life insurance that covered the funeral costs. The only extra cost to pay was around £200. My uncle dealt with everything to do with the funeral and paid this small charge.

Up to now we have not been to any will reading or any access to any information at all.

floss2

Have you asked your uncle for a copy of the will? Also, check with your local Probate office whether Probate was granted - it may be that the small payment is an interim payment before Probate is granted and any other pensions, policies, bank accounts etc are cleared to be shared.

TonyMMM

Once probate has been granted, anyone can apply for a copy of the will (costs £6 at the moment) - speak to your nearest probate office.

If your uncle is the executor, he should be able to supply an account of the estate showing monies gathered in/paid out.

Mojisola

Order a copy of your grandmother's will from https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp
so that you can be sure of what your father inherited.

You say he didn't spend anything because he was too ill. Wasn't he paying half of the household bills with his brother? If he was very ill, did he have carers coming in to help him? Was he paying his brother to be his carer?

Ask your uncle for a copy of your father's will. I can't see any reason why an executor wouldn't show the will to beneficiaries. There's nothing that can be kept secret because the will becomes a public document that anyone can buy.

Remember that your father has been living with your uncle - he may be badly hit by the death because it's part of his day-to-day life that has gone. Be reasonable when you ask questions of him.

Simon32uk

Thanks for the advice so far

There was no carer's involved or any extra paid services at all. Very occasionally a district nurse would visit from the hospital which was voluntary.

As far as we know it didn't go to probate? According to our uncle the will was straight forward with nobody contesting etc. Maybe it has gone to probate by now.

As far as the upkeep of the home with my uncle, our parent received disability and contributed from that, yet the home has no outstanding mortgage as it was left to my uncle when our Grandma died.

They both lived with very light bills and basic facilities with nothing fancy.

Mojisola

Simon32uk wrote: »

The situation that makes us suspicious something isn't right was our parent lived with his brother and didn't really spend anything in the last 3 years at all as he was too ill to go out and about and was also receiving a disability allowance.

Simon32uk wrote: »

There was no carer's involved or any extra paid services at all. Very occasionally a district nurse would visit from the hospital which was voluntary.

As far as we know it didn't go to probate?

As far as the upkeep of the home with my uncle, our parent received disability and contributed from that, yet the home has no outstanding mortgage as it was left to my uncle when our Grandma died.

They both lived with very light bills and basic facilities with nothing fancy.

If your parent was too ill to go out, was the uncle being paid to care for him? Someone must have been doing the shopping and cooking and washing and cleaning and gardening and house maintenance and paying insurance and utility bills.

If the estate consisted of very little, there would be no need to go to probate.

It rings alarm bells that he won't show you the will. I would be concerned but don't over-react at this stage.

Get a copy of your grandmother's will and see what your father inherited at that stage and then ask your uncle for a meeting to discuss the will. He has legal duties as an executor -www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tsemmanual/tsem6051.htm

Simon32uk

Mojisola wrote: »

If your parent was too ill to go out, was the uncle being paid to care for him? Someone must have been doing the shopping and cooking and washing and cleaning and gardening and house maintenance and paying insurance and utility bills.

Thanks for the input!

My uncle and my dad pretty much shared the bills, but they we're very small costs to the average households to my understanding. They both lived together with very old fashion values lol. My uncle was not receiving a carers allowance or considered a carer as he works full time. My dad didn't hardly eat due to his declining health. It was literally like a yogurt a day only for a long time and he went into hospital many times for malnourishment. He received full disability so contributed out of that towards other bills.

If I get my grandma's will, it wont advise amounts of what my father received will it? Just that he received funds from the bonds and my Uncle got the house??

I'm not totally sure he wont show us my fathers will, but has made no attempt to do so. We feel bad to ask as if it's mistrust (Which I guess it is a little) and I hate myself for thinking it, however we have all in all only been given a small payment of £200.00 each and not involved in any legal process/hearing/solicitors/conversations/arrangements and maybe because of this has left us feeling this way.

Mojisola

Simon32uk wrote: »

I'm not totally sure he wont show us my fathers will, but has made no attempt to do so. We feel bad to ask as if it's mistrust (Which I guess it is a little) and I hate myself for thinking it, however we have all in all only been given a small payment of £200.00 each and not involved in any legal process/hearing/solicitors/conversations/arrangements and maybe because of this has left us feeling this way.

There wouldn't be any reason to involve beneficiaries in any of the arrangements you mention. That's for the executor to do.

If you haven't asked to see a copy of the will, I think the ball is in your court.

Grumpelstiltskin

Simon32uk wrote: »

If I get my grandma's will, it wont advise amounts of what my father received will it? Just that he received funds from the bonds and my Uncle got the house??

I'm not totally sure he wont show us my fathers will, but has made no attempt to do so. We feel bad to ask as if it's mistrust (Which I guess it is a little) and I hate myself for thinking it, however we have all in all only been given a small payment of £200.00 each and not involved in any legal process/hearing/solicitors/conversations/arrangements and maybe because of this has left us feeling this way.

Simon You will get an exact copy of the will, so if it said I leave £xxxx to A and £yyyy to B you will see that or if it says I leave everything to be divided equally between A and B you will see that and it will tell you the total amount of the estate so you will be able to work out what your father was left.