How do u know if the deceased made a will?

B

BIG

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Hi,
Is it the obligation of the solicitor to contact the relatives if there is a will?
A relative died about 6 months ago but nobody has heard from a solicitor.
Could they have forgot to contact the relatives as the deceased said she had a will.

Thanks.
 
Its more a question of the family trying to track down a will.

In todays busy busy framework, any solicitor is unlikely to know or remember all of their clients, many of whom they may not have seen for years. So how would the solicitor know that someone who made a will with them 15 years ago ( for example) has died?

"Could they have forgot to contact the relatives as the deceased said she had a will."

Why doesn't someone contact the solicitor? Does anyone know who the solicitor might be? Has anyone checked through the deceased's papers to see if there is a will or a copy?

mf
 
AFAIK a Solicitor is only obliged to advise relatives regarding the existence of a will if they are beneficiaries.
 
Thanks for the reply, there is no details of any will and they are not sure who the solicitor is, but it could only be one of a few.
All the relatives assumed there was no will when no one contacted them.
 
If she made a will, she would have appointed someone as Executor. It does not follow of course but it's usually a relative. If you think you know who that might have been, then you can ask.
 
Is there any estate? If there is no estate, then it does not matter whether there is a will or not. If there is an estate and it needs to be dealt with, then someone needs to go off looking for either a will in the house or in a solicitors office and as I said they may not know the deceased is dead. But its for the family/beneficiaries to chase this and not necessarily for a solicitor to know relative is dead.

mf
 
if you live in a town, you ould always contact all solicitors in the town. This of course will not be practical in the City.
 
This question should give all of us food for thought. None of the advice offered is conclusive. A person may name an executor but may not have told the executor that he/she was appointed etc. In Ireland many properties go into legal limbo in such situations. It is not unknown for unsrupulous insiders to "sort out" such situations to their own benefit resulting in family feuds.

The lesson for all of us is 1. Make a will, 2. Tell EVERYONE where it is, 3. Tell the executor and 4. since any or all of the above could pre-decease you, 5. Review your will Annually. Do we do it? Naa!
 
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