Probate: Banks not responded after 7 months

Trooper21

sassyblue said:

If you’re a beneficiary haven’t you seen a copy of the Will yet?

Not all beneficiaries get a copy or actually even an invitiation to the appointment with the solicitor.

It's the executor who then informs beneficiaries as I understand it, and if it's contentious it's contentiou. It's not like in America where they all sit round listening to the will being read like we see on TV all the time :-)

We just gave a cheque out once probate had been granted - job done.

p00hsticks

sassyblue said:

If you’re a beneficiary haven’t you seen a copy of the Will yet?

There's no obligation for an executor to show beneficiaries the will, although if the estate goes to probate (which it sounds like it will have to as there's property involved) then once it;s been granted anyone can apply to get a copy from the probate office.

And as the OP is not a residual beneficiary the executor's do not have to share the estate accounts with them.

I'm still unclear as to exactly who is the second executor and who has engaged the solicitor. Although the OP says that one executor is for the property and the other is dealing with the rest of the estate, this isn't really how things work - the estate has to be considered as a whole, although it may be that informally they've decided to split the workload that way. (I'm assuming that the property and other estate assets are all in England/Wales and it's only the cousin executor who's abroad, so this is all under English/Welsh juristiction ). If the solicitor is not named as an executor or has been formally engaged by the executors to deal with the estate this may go some way to explaining why financial institutions are reluctant to provide information. 

[editted to add] And if the Op is not an executor (it doesn't sounds as if they are) and isn't the purson whose engaged the solicitor, then they're not in a position to be chasing the solicitor as being a beneficiary in itself doesn;t give them any authority to tel lthem what they should be doing. 

FYI there is a specific sub-board that deals with Death, Funeral and Probate issues

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/deaths-funerals-probate