Finding out if a living relative has made a will

bainbridge

bainbridge

bainbridge

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Joined
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Hi GD

My mum has been in a home for a number of years, she's 80 and has cognitive impairments. Her nurse and keyworker has asked if mum has a will. We've searched the family home and can't find one and I've spoken to mum, she doesn't know.

I think that when dad was alive and they bought their house they made a will, but that was 40 years ago.

Is there any way of finding out?

Thanks
 
AFAIK there isnt an official register. People either have wills hidden away at home or more likely the will will be with their solicitors.
 
Werewolf said:
Do you know what solicitors your parents used for things?
If so possibly contact them?
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I don't :( Dad died over 30 years ago and mum doesn't know.

Without a definitive answer I'll just have to tell the keyworker I don't know. Hopefully mum will be with us for many more years to come and we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.
 
Maybe see if the solicitors used for the house purchase are still around and perhaps hold it? Not sure if the documents with the land registry would detail which firm filed them...
 
OP - I hope you can find one and your mom is with you for a good few years.

This is also a wake up call to anyone who doesn't have a will and people with parents should ask them if they have made a will - They do save a lot of hassle.
We have made wills and ours reside with the solicitor as we have no relatives to talk about - We also keep a copy and we have a small filing cabinet with a folder in called Wills so anyone who searches the house after we have gone can sort things out and contact the solicitor.
I have also made a list of all our personal data and it will be sealed up and taken to solicitors to put in with our will file.

When you are young it seem so far away but believe me the years fly past so prepare for the inevitable.
 
nightwish said:
If your Mum is still capable, then the best solution is to make a new will which will supercede any previous one.
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I didn't know that but it does make sense that a new will supercedes a previous one, thanks.

Technically mum doesn't have the capacity to manage her finances and I'm sure that the trust who owns her residential home will be appointees/poa/whatever the technical term is.
 
If the trust owns the home, then it's (presumably) not part of her estate to pass on, regardless of whether there's a will or not. TBH, I think maybe you should get some professional advice from a solicitor, especially if your Mum may not be capable of making a will herself. I don't really know how that situation could be handled.
 
nightwish said:
If the trust owns the home, then it's (presumably) not part of her estate to pass on, regardless of whether there's a will or not. TBH, I think maybe you should get some professional advice from a solicitor, especially if your Mum may not be capable of making a will herself. I don't really know how that situation could be handled.
Click to expand...

It's complicated. My sister still lives in the family home, which, according to the land registry, is still owned by my parents, though dad died over 30 years ago. Mum is in a residential home owned by a trust, who I assume have control over her finances. Mum tried giving me £100 for my birthday last year and before accepting it I asked them if they were aware, they were and had agreed it with her.

I'll liaise with the keyworker who, quite rightly, raised the issue, and try to find out a process we can follow.
 
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