suspicious will activity

FireandIce_2

I hope I have posted in the correct area of forum.
any advice at all on this would be grateful.
I will try to keep it short, I hope I dont abrupt.

my grandfather passed away end of October 2015.
his 3 children are main beneficeries, his son is executor.

his son and one sister are close, and have lots of contact.

my mother although has been of equal contact within the family, she is being ostracised.

the will we believe is not too complicated. yet she has not even seen it, despite asking numerous times.

she is now starting to worry that it is being kept under wraps until too late to contest.

she was told it had gone to probate, but her husband searched online and could see no listing of her dads name.

can anybody advise, what she should do? she is reluctant to speak out and upset her brother, but at the same time she cant just sit back and do nothing if they are being deceiptful.

all she wants is even just to see the will.

how can she go about this? and how would you advise she persue this without going to war with her family.

any advise gratefully received.
many thanks

xylophone

yet she has not even seen it

And yet she is sure that she is a beneficiary?

https://www.gov.uk/wills-probate-inheritance/searching-for-probate-records

Standing search?

FireandIce_2

thanks. yes. before he passed he told her that they would all be getting equal shares.

he had a house/annex built onto the side of her sisters house, and he had discussed that she would receive a little less money to make up for the value of the house, as obviously that is attached to hers, but value wise, my mum, uncle and aunt were to receive equal split financially.

FireandIce_2

he isn't listed on the above link. so look like they have already been deceptive, by saying it had.

greenglide

Maybe they have applied for probate but it has not yet been granted? It can take a while.

Do you know whether they are using a solicitor for this? A solicitor would normally contact all the beneficiaries to establish names and addresses etc.

Mojisola

xylophone wrote: »

And yet she is sure that she is a beneficiary?

FireandIce wrote: »

yes. before he passed he told her that they would all be getting equal shares.

Don't rely on this. People say all sorts of things about their wills that prove not to be true after they die.

If there is no sign of probate, you could inform the other siblings that your mother is going to apply for Letters of Administration and distribute the estate under the intestacy rules.

They will have to produce the will and go to probate or let her get on with it.

OldBeanz

When applying for probate you have to send the original will and three copies to the Probate Office. A sensible person would have a fourth copy made but your uncle may have forgotten to or was not bothered to do this and he does not have a copy to let your mother read.

xylophone

Why doesn't your mother submit form PA1S? See link).Then

"If a grant of representation is issued in the next 6 months, you’ll receive a copy.

It costs £10, which includes a copy of the grant of representation and the will (if there is one).

You can extend the standing search after 6 months."

FireandIce_2

morning.

Thanks I have passed on all the links and info to her. she is contacting a solicitor later today,

I dont believe he would leave her out of the will, as their relationship was ok, and he had already started distributing some of his cash asset prior to his passing, I believe to avoid any inheritance tax.

thanks for all your advice. she is not particularly computer literate, and I was going round in circles trying to get answers for her.

FireandIce_2

hi everyone.

just to update. brother has now provided her with a copy of the will.

thanks again for all your advice. it was greatly appreciated.

PasturesNew

Mojisola wrote: »

Don't rely on this. People say all sorts of things about their wills that prove not to be true after they die.

This is true. In life mum/dad spoke often about charities they were leaving money to; dad's sister was told there was something for her too. We were given the will in our hands by dad before his death.
After his death when we went through the fine detail there was none of this. None at all. I then spent a couple of days contacting every solicitor in the whole town to see if there'd been a newer will. Nothing.

It's embarrassing to think that his sister might be out there thinking we'd robbed her ... and we didn't!