Administering gifts in mothers will

sharonframpton

My mother died in 2019 prior to her death she stated she was going to leave £1000 to each of her grandchildren. I have not seen a copy of the will, at the time of her death my father stated that this money would be paid on his death as all her estate went to him.  My sister has questioned this with him recently as she believes that the money to the grandchildren should have been paid after my mum died. He now appears to have forgotten the contents of her will??!!!
So my question is - should the gifted amount have been paid to the 3 grandchildren at the time of her death.  The will wasn't held with a solicitor and they made their wills with a private company and a copy has just been kept my parents house.
If it is important myself and sister do not have a good relationship with my father and he is known to lie.  We are not sure what to do??
TIA

[Deleted User]

You need to get a copy of the will to see exactly what was said.

Marcon

sharonframpton said:

My mother died in 2019 prior to her death she stated she was going to leave £1000 to each of her grandchildren. I have not seen a copy of the will, at the time of her death my father stated that this money would be paid on his death as all her estate went to him.  My sister has questioned this with him recently as she believes that the money to the grandchildren should have been paid after my mum died. He now appears to have forgotten the contents of her will??!!!
So my question is - should the gifted amount have been paid to the 3 grandchildren at the time of her death.  The will wasn't held with a solicitor and they made their wills with a private company and a copy has just been kept my parents house.
If it is important myself and sister do not have a good relationship with my father and he is known to lie.  We are not sure what to do??
TIA

Not clear from your post if your mother's will went to probate. If it did, you can download a copy for £1.50 from https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate

If it didn't, then there's not much you can do if your father won't show you the will, or can't even find it. If you push the issue, and he doesn't like what the will says, he could simply give it a quiet date with a shredder or a bonfire and then claim she died intestate because she had destroyed it before her death - it wouldn't be the first time this sort of thing has happened, especially where someone is known to have a relaxed relationship with the truth.

Depending on the size of the estate, he could inherit the lot automatically, so there'd be nothing lost to him by doing so. What's the value - any idea?

The other problem is that people often say they are going to do things, especially in relation to their will, and then never do it. 

Thrugelmir

Perhaps your mother and father had mirror wills drawn up. Gifts being bequeathed on the second death. Initially the estate would pass from one to the other survivor. 

Pushing the matter will do little for their relationship. Some people have no wish to discuss their own financial affairs. 

SeniorSam

Gifting to gran children on the second death is not unusual. My wife and I have this in our own Wills, so I would expect it to be similar as married couples,again, often leave their assets to their spouses first.

The answer above, to get a copy of the Will is the easiest way, otherwise, perhaps a chat with your father, reminding him again about the grandchildren's gifts, but checking to location of the Wills also.