Finding the solicitor dealing with an estate

downhillian

My stepmother recently died without a will. My Father died 4 years ago also with no will. He had earned the lion share of the assets that they jointly owned. A distant relative of the stepmother is now claiming the estate and is not answering my correspondence. Is it worth pursuing this somehow? And is there a way of finding the solicitor who would be dealing with it?

Flugelhorn

there may not be a solicitor dealing with it, they may be doing it themselves.

Are you in England? If so it is likely that the bulk of father's estate will have gone to stepmother (if they were married and he didn't leave a will), then on her death it will go to her relatives as per intestacy rules.  

Marcon

downhillian said:

My stepmother recently died without a will. My Father died 4 years ago also with no will. He had earned the lion share of the assets that they jointly owned. 

Be helpful to know if this is England, Wales, Scotland or NI... I am answering assuming it is England or Wales, otherwise could be a different answer!

He may have earned the lion's share, but if the assets were jointly owned with your stepmother, they will automatically become hers on his death. Unless there were substantial assets which he alone owned, then it is likely your stepmother inherited these under the intestacy provisions. Did you check this when your father died 4 years ago?

downhillian said:

A distant relative of the stepmother is now claiming the estate and is not answering my correspondence. Is it worth pursuing this somehow? And is there a way of finding the solicitor who would be dealing with it?

If your stepmother owned 'everything' at the time of her death, I'm not sure what you think you could pursue unless you were formally adopted by your stepmother? Otherwise you don't feature in the intestacy rules.

No reason the distant relative should reply to your correspondence, although it would clearly be a courtesy if they did. You can see why they might not with to do so, though.

If there is a solicitor involved, they are likely to have been appointed by the distant relative, so may decline to respond to you.