finance

If you have any doubts that she is telling the truth you could try contacting you father’s solicitor yourself. If they have a copy you may be able to get it accepted, but that require legal action to do so.

As it stands your SM will inherit the first £250k and 50% of the remainder. You and your estranged brother will share the rest. Your SM could do a deed of variation to give up some of her inheritance in your favour, but I doubt your brother is going to turn down his windfall.

This is a lesson is why the original will should be stored with your solicitor not at home or in the office.

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

If you have any doubts that she is telling the truth you could try contacting you father’s solicitor yourself. If they have a copy you may be able to get it accepted, but that require legal action to do so.

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Without a copy of the will, you are sunk. If your stepmother destroyed the only copy, that is it!

If it was made through a solicitors, they will have a copy plus the notes made during the meetings while the will was discussed.

Our solicitor recently helped a beneficiary win a case where the will was destroyed by someone who would benefit more from the rules of intestacy by using the information they held on the will.

Any existing will would have been invalidated at the marriage to your step mother. If he didn't make another after his marriage then she is quite correct that he died intestate.