The Gazette.

CafeLatte78

Sorry if this has been asked before.

I used a solicitor for my dad’s estate 12 months ago, I’m sure we didn’t add anything to The Gazette. 

His house was sold and after care fees what was left went to my mother, who had been in care for 3 years.

My mother passed away in the autumn and has left a small estate.

As she was in care and we monitored the post, I’m 99.9% sure there are no debts other than care fees.

I am just nervous as being sole executor of any unknown debt, but also if I publicise some scammer claiming they are owed money.

Neither of my parents were comfortable with using credit cards, never mind buying anything on credit.

i just think it could cause more problems than its worth, but would have sole responsibility if things went wrong.

user1977

Who is/are the beneficiaries? Worst case scenario (if a genuine creditor shows up) is that the beneficiaries would need to pay back the relevant amounts, so does anyone have a relationship with you such that they'd point the finger at you and allege you were negligent as an executor?

But as you seem to have realised, it's immensely unlikely that someone who has been in care for a lengthy period will somehow have incurred weird debts with parties who haven't so far made themselves known.

Keep_pedalling

If you are the sole beneficiary, or if you have sibling who are also executors and equal beneficiaries then it would be a total waste of time.

CafeLatte78

Thank you.

i am sole executor, but not sole beneficiary and have no relationship with my siblings.

Hoenir

CafeLatte78 said:

I used a solicitor for my dad’s estate 12 months ago, I’m sure we didn’t add anything to The Gazette. 

You solicitors' would have done this to protect themselves. 

badmemory

If she has been in a care home for the last 3 years & you have had access to her post the chance of her having any debts are extremely slim.  It sounds as though her husband would have been dealing with any finances until his death so the chance of more turning up would seem to be really slight.  So unless she has been able to place orders online in the last year then stop worrying.

Markmywords

Hoenir said:

CafeLatte78 said:

I used a solicitor for my dad’s estate 12 months ago, I’m sure we didn’t add anything to The Gazette. 

You solicitors' would have done this to protect themselves. 

Do solicitors do this automactically?

badmemory

Yes is the simple answer.