Daughter excluded from grandmothers will - please help!

KatieBW123

I am really looking for advice re protecting my daughters interests. She is 10. I have had a difficult relationship with her father since we separated 3 years ago and have been through family court proceedings. My ex is very wealthy and is from a wealthy family. While we were still together, his elderly mother had told him she was changing her will so that his share and that of his brothers would be divided between their respective children. So his brothers four children would receive his and my exes share would be divided between his three children (including our daughter, he has two adult children). My ex and I have had little contact for the past 3 years but I know there has been further wrangling over the will, as his mothers health has declined. She passed away this May, there has been no updates. My daughter now informs me via her father that she has been left nothing in her grandmothers will and that my exes share is to be split between him and his two adult children. I am slightly stunned, I had hoped she would be looked after and have money put in a trust. I would like to check the will and see when the changes were made as I understand they were recent, during the time she was pretty ill. Any advice please? Her properties are on the market, I have checked online and nothing on gov probate site and I don’t know which solicitors or executors are handling this. 

Keep_pedalling

Not much you can do about this, your daughter’s grandmother was entitled to leave her estate to who ever she wished. You will be able to see what her will actually said once her estate has been through probate as it will then be in the public domain and you can get a copy from the probate office (assuming she was resident in England or Wales).

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/

KatieBW123

Keep_pedalling said:

Not much you can do about this, your daughter’s grandmother was entitled to leave her estate to who ever she wished. You will be able to see what her will actually said once her estate has been through probate as it will then be in the public domain and you can get a copy from the probate office (assuming she was resident in England or Wales).

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/

Thank you. I should have mentioned my ex has a history of controlling behaviour and lying about money. It is possible she has been left something but that he controls it. I really need to see the will to get a clear idea. 

elsien

You have no rights to see the will until after probate. And with a complex estate, probate is likely to take longer than the six months it has been so far. And even if you knew who the solicitors were, they would not share the information with you. 

Savvy_Sue

If there was a house in grandma's estate, then it is unlikely - not impossible - that it can change hands without probate being granted. So you can put a 'watch' on the house with the Land Registry, and then you'll know the will should be available if / when it changes hands. 

Flugelhorn

you really won't be able to find out anything until probate is granted - even then the money will have been left to her and be held in trust until she is 18 - her father may be the trustee

KatieBW123

elsien said:

You have no rights to see the will until after probate. And with a complex estate, probate is likely to take longer than the six months it has been so far. And even if you knew who the solicitors were, they would not share the information with you. 

He has made changes to the will so that he is the beneficiary, rather than his third daughter. All this done after his mother had become very ill, couldn’t speak. I guess rich people can do whatever they like

Keep_pedalling

KatieBW123 said:

elsien said:

You have no rights to see the will until after probate. And with a complex estate, probate is likely to take longer than the six months it has been so far. And even if you knew who the solicitors were, they would not share the information with you. 

He has made changes to the will so that he is the beneficiary, rather than his third daughter. All this done after his mother had become very ill, couldn’t speak. I guess rich people can do whatever they like

You don’t actually know that as you have not even seen the will yet.

elsien

KatieBW123 said:

elsien said:

You have no rights to see the will until after probate. And with a complex estate, probate is likely to take longer than the six months it has been so far. And even if you knew who the solicitors were, they would not share the information with you. 

He has made changes to the will so that he is the beneficiary, rather than his third daughter. All this done after his mother had become very ill, couldn’t speak. I guess rich people can do whatever they like

Speculation. He can’t unilaterally change a will. And just there are people who try and influence or worse, but Any solicitor involved should have the sense to say the person is unable to make a will at that point, as it would be open to challenge. 

LightFlare

 Not a thing you can do about it

She won’t be any worse off than she is now and she can build her own future in her own way

You say you’ve had little contact over the last 3 years, but how much has he had with his daughter ?

Sea_Shell

Is your daughter aware of any of this?    

Has she always been 'promised' or told by anyone that one day, she'll inherit £££ from her "rich Nan"?

At 10, they probably wouldn't know enough to assume they'd get something, unless told.   But if they are pinning their hopes on being able to get that new bike...

Hopefully she is completely unaware, so won't be disappointed, about the "if only's".     



ETA - sorry, i've just re-read the OP and this bit stands out...

"My daughter now informs me via her father that she has been left nothing in her grandmothers will"

They've said that to a 10 yr old !!!!  ?

I really hope this hasn't been "bigged up" over the years.   That's a harsh life lesson for a 10 yr old to learn.