Family passed away No "Will"

allhourrs

Hi what happens if you carnt find a will and your not sure if there was one anyway ,is there a time limit before you can sell the estate and then share it out to the relevant families or what if the will suddenly appears 12 months later

Bossyboots

First step is to circulate all the solicitors and banks in the area where the person lived asking if they have records of any will made.

If no will turns up, someone will need to apply to the Probate Registry for letters of administration. This will enable them to distribute the estate.

If the estate is small then it may be possible to sort it out without applying for L of A but if there is a fair amount of money or a property, this will be needed as without them no-one will deal with you. The person handling the estate without letters of administration will have to prove that they are entitled to handle the estate.

There are also strict intestacy rules which dictate in what order people inherit.

Newspaper notices asking anyone who thinks they have an interest in the estate will also need to be placed.

If everything possible is done to trace a will, there shouldn't be any problem if one later turns up provided the estate has been distributed strictly in accordance with the rules.