Unsigned Will

Flugelhorn

Granny didn't sign her will, the will left everything to youngest child.

Other 4 children all agreed, a deed was drawn up to that effect and signed by them all.

JReacher1

Flugelhorn wrote: »

Granny didn't sign her will, the will left everything to youngest child.

Other 4 children all agreed, a deed was drawn up to that effect and signed by them all.

Yes but if they hadn’t agreed this could have gone differently.

Dox

Flugelhorn wrote: »

Granny didn't sign her will, the will left everything to youngest child.

Other 4 children all agreed, a deed was drawn up to that effect and signed by them all.

That's a deed of variation, not the Probate Office rewriting the rules!

Yorkshireman99

lincroft1710 wrote: »

My father forgot to sign his will, but it was accepted by the Probate Office with a statement from either one or both of the witnesses (cannot remember).

Unless the law has changed, an unsigned will is not such a big deal

Far from it! Getting an unsigned will admitted to probate is never straightforward and invariably expensive. Not a certainty by any means. Just because it was in one case is no guide to why others may find.

SevenOfNine

lincroft1710 wrote: »

My father forgot to sign his will, but it was accepted by the Probate Office with a statement from either one or both of the witnesses (cannot remember).

Unless the law has changed, an unsigned will is not such a big deal

If the will was unsigned, what was it the 'witnesses' were witnessing? This doesn't make sense.

lincroft1710

I may still have the will and correspondence from Probate Office so will look them up. I definitely remember going to Probate Office

Flugelhorn

JReacher1 wrote: »

Yes but if they hadn’t agreed this could have gone differently.

definitely - they happened to be a sensible bunch who realised that the will was mother's wishes - there was v little in the estate

Flugelhorn

SevenOfNine wrote: »

If the will was unsigned, what was it the 'witnesses' were witnessing? This doesn't make sense.

In granny's case, goodness knows what they though they were signing. It was Granny;s 70th birthday and she had had a few friends round for tea.

nom_de_plume

squibbs25 wrote: »

My friend has been in touch with will company who have said they cannot give any information as the stepdad is the first named executor.

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

But he's not if the will is invalid by not being signed. Then there is no named executor.

Can they be asked if they are refering to a valid, signed and witnessed will?

badger09

lincroft1710 wrote: »

My father forgot to sign his will, but it was accepted by the Probate Office with a statement from either one or both of the witnesses (cannot remember).

Unless the law has changed, an unsigned will is not such a big deal

lincroft1710 wrote: »

I may still have the will and correspondence from Probate Office so will look them up. I definitely remember going to Probate Office

Is it possible that your late father forgot to date, rather than forgot to sign, his will?