Inheritance - should it be more???

financiallywet

Hi,

this may or may not be the correct thread to post in but i couldn't find one specifically for inheritance.

My daughters and i are fortunately named in an inheritance and not wishing to look a gift in the mouth so to speak, the sum is about a half than what I was told by the dearly departed - I'm not sure how to follow up or even if i should bother at all - but she was a wily and thrifty person that looked after her money and worked hard for it and hand on heart I dont want that part of her life wasted if something is amiss somewhere along the line - i'm a little inclined to think that something might have been overlooked by the solicitors or God forbid, some nasty goings on.

What to do??

any advice greatly appreciated, thanks.

i'm not the executor of the will only the benefactor along with my children.

eskbanker

There is a death, funerals and probate board that's probably a better place to ask, but the first port of call would need to be the executor, who should be able to show all the relevant figures associated with the estate and its distribution.

bowlhead99

Are you the only benefactor? Ask for a copy of the summary of how the executor discharged their duties and distributed the estate. Could be a misunderstanding, eg perhaps the dearly departed had hoped you could have received £100k but there was 40k inheritance tax to clear first which the dearly departed didn't understand would have to be paid before they could see what was left and pay it out too the various people who they wanted to pay. Or maybe the estate had other types of debts.

Also it's not unusual for people to be optimistic​ in what they tell people they can have when they're dead, because things happen between the promises being made and the death happening.

GDB2222

bowlhead99 wrote: »

Are you the only benefactor? Ask for a copy of the summary of how the executor discharged their duties and distributed the estate. Could be a misunderstanding, eg perhaps the dearly departed had hoped you could have received £100k but there was 40k inheritance tax to clear first which the dearly departed didn't understand would have to be paid before they could see what was left and pay it out too the various people who they wanted to pay. Or maybe the estate had other types of debts.

Also it's not unusual for people to be optimistic​ in what they tell people they can have when they're dead, because things happen between the promises being made and the death happening.

One possible reason is that the executor is unaware of an asset of the deceased, so hasn't included it. Another possible reason is that he has embezzled.

Most likely, as Bowlhead has said, is that the deceased spent some of the money.

xylophone

You and your children are not benefactors (donors) but beneficiaries (receivers).

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/benefactor

It is possible to obtain a copy of the deceased's will.

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

You can request a statement of account from the executor.

teddysmum

Was the deceased in care ? If so, care fees massively eat into the estate.