UPDATE: Brother is talking about contesting will with no evidence. Does he stand much of a chance?

elsien

I disagree. I have not spoken to my Father for several years now for various reasons. There has not been a huge falling out, I just don’t want him in my life. I have no expectations at all about receiving anything when he dies.
If you make no effort to contact a parent for several years, it is not surprising if there are consequences.

Mands

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82028253#Comment_82028253

There is no forced heirship in England so the OP's mother was absolutely entitled to leave her assets where she wished.

You, and I, have no idea of the family dynamic. But how dare you suggest the OP is responsible for the choices her mother made?

GrumpyDil

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82028253#Comment_82028253

I agree with @elsien. The OP didn't cut the mother out of the will, the mother clearly made that decision and having the solicitor's notes and comments supports that position.

The mother had every right to decide who she wanted her estate to go to and as long as she was mentally competent that isn't something that can be challenged except in very limited circumstances.

I wasn't going to expand but I ended up in the situation where a will was amended in an adverse way in relation to me but in that case the solicitor had never directly spoken to my parent

Also, one witness contacted me as she was uncomfortable in hind sight about the situation and my parent's understanding of what was being done at the time and there were a couple of smoking guns we came across.

My point being to make a challenge there has to be evidence to base that challenge on and having a solicitor with attendance notes would be a very high bar to cross.

Mands

"I'll take this through the courts and EVEN if i lose"

This is the language of someone who has taken exactly ZERO professional advice. Comments from his mates in the pub during half time on Saturday do not count.

Assuming no caveat the starting point for legal fees for contesting a will is usually considered to be £10k.

Jemma01

I'm so sorry you're going through this. Best part is that the judge would see his nasty threats and realise why mum left him nothing. The more he blabs the more he digs himself a hole.

Take a breath, leave his messages unread so you're not stressing over them, and do NOT answer the phone or block him, let everything be in writing as he may incriminate himself. Him mentioning the costs is laughable, what a manipulative newb. At least you know he's not very smart or calculated. He's laying out all his cards for you to prepare and know his plans.

silvercar

Time to block your brother. Block his number, block him on Facebook and change your settings to private/ friends only. Maybe don’t even post personal stuff on FB. Don’t engage at all. He’ll either get tired and stop or he will go legal, in which case you send his paperwork to the lawyer that drew up the will.

Sorry for your loss. You don’t need him in your life.

Keep_pedalling

Try not to worry about this too much lots of people threaten this but few go through with it. Block any further emails from him and block his phone number.

Keep_pedalling

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82028253#Comment_82028253

The OP was caring for their mother in the last years of her life and the only asset she had was her house which is also the OPs home,

Briansteen50

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82028253#Comment_82028253

I don't even know where to behin with.

He hasn't seen her for three years and before that he hadn't seen her for two. That one time he saw her he was screaming at her and me because she had decided to sell her house and move with us and stomed out calling us "F'in idiots". He sent no birthday cards because he didn't know the address or care to find out. while every other family memeber knew the new address and came to see her multiple times.

She was 80 and had her own mind. The 'grievance' is the above.

Flugelhorn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82028268#Comment_82028268

I agree - I wouldn't have been at all surprised if mother had left her estate to the grandkids or the cats home and not me - but in the end she was superstitious about wills and never wanted anything to do with them so she left her old one exactly as it was