Misspelling of name on will. Problem ?

[GreenClock]

A friend’s mum died recently. My friend inherits everything as the only child. However, having unearthed the will in her mum’s bungalow she’s found that her surname (which is different to her mum’s) has a typo. Think Groves instead of Grover. Her first name is fine and she has a birth certificate to show that she’s her mum’s child and a marriage certificate showing that she married a Mr Grover. Her address is correct.

How likely is she to encounter a problem with the authorities/land registry etc. The solicitor who drafted the will in 2014 and made the error is no longer in business so she can’t ask her.

She’s been through quite a lot and is pretty worried.

Thanks.

I'm sure it will be fine. I imagine that the will states that I bequeath to my daughter then name and then what she is to inherit. Is the solicitor who drew up the will also going to administer the estate. Even if the daughter is the named executrix of the will she can get the solicitor to administer the estate as I imagine it will go to probate.

Thanks MrsC. The solicitor retired due to serious illness and wound up her business apparently.

Do you think my friend should engage a solicitor? Her mum left a bungalow worth £320k and a £6k savings account with NatWest - that’s all.

It seems straightforward but I imagine it’s easy to make a mistake on the forms.

AgeUK have great advice telling you what to do and in which order.

My BIL was named in a will and the second time his name came up within the document it was a totally different name (as in, Thomas then Henry). Didn't cause any problems though.

This happened to MIL. Her name was cocked up on a friend's will. Solicitors who drew up the will solved it by reference to their meeting notes in a sworn statement as to the friend's intentions. MIL got her cash. No problem.

Even if the will is invalid, and it is declared she died intestate, I’m sure your friend would inherit as only child (unless there is a husband).

She shouldn't need a solicitor. The gov. Probate helpline people are very helpful if she finds filling out forms confusing.

We had this recently. Family member, they left something to their niece Mrs Jane Higgins but when cousin married she kept her maiden name so was actually Mrs Jane Biggins. It wasn’t a problem at all.

She can do probate herself or if she wishes she can engage a solicitor. Whatever she is comfortable with. If her total assets are under £325k then there shouldn't be any IHT. The funeral bill can come out of the £6k as it's considered the 1st debt on an estate. My last job involved dealing with deceased accounts. I had someone who initially engaged a solicitor but then decided she would deal with it herself which worked out perfectly fine. This person was retired and had worked in the probate office so obviously knew what she was at. But I noticed a few years into the job that more people were deciding to do probate themselves. Your friends mother's estate looks fairly straightforward.

Thanks everyone. She is going to give it a go herself.