Beneficiaries of a will

treacleminer

By law, are the beneficiaries of a Will required to approve the final accounts of the estate?
The solicitor dealing with a relative's Will is asking us to approve her final figures (and itemised information) before wrapping up the estate.
Thank you.

thorsoak

Yes, this is normal protocol.

meritaten

yes - main beneficiaries usually!

Tuesday_Tenor

I would doubt whether this is actually a legal requirement.

However, it is normal good practice. A sensible executor will want to know that no-one is going to query anything further before paying final costs (e.g. to solicitors) and distributing the estate to the beneficiaries.

If you were thinking of witholding approval then presumably there is something you query and you shouold do that now, rather than at some future point when the estate has already been distributed.

System

I think it's just a precaution by the solicitor. Legally only the executors have to approve the accounts, but they are their responsibility.

I don't suppose the traditional will-reading as depicted in books and films happens much now, but it would have come as an awful shock when the heir suddenly finds he has been disinherited.

Daniel987

As others have said it's just good behaviour.

They have insurance to protect them against mistakes but it makes sense for them to share the figures before anything final is paid out.