Stepmother inheritance - who's right?

[jamiefromcanada]

My father was a widow at a young age, 30, he has two children from his first marriage. He remarried after a few years to a widowed homemaker who had one child from her previous marriage. After a few years they had a child of their own.

Fast forward, my father died at seventy years old and my step-mother lived another fifteen years, until eighty five years old. During their marriage they lived on my fathers income, which he earned handsomely. We all grew up together as one big close happy family, just like the Brady Bunch. shared birthdays, weddings, and parties together.

After my step-mothers death, my half-brother and step-brother never shared the contents of the will with us or not even let us see it. I know that when my step-mother was alive she said many times to many people including myself that all her children were equal to her. After all was said and done, my brothers gave us only 10% of the entire estate. My half-brother took 50% and my step-brother took, 30%.

What's right in this situation? Both morally and legally. I know how I feel, a bit disappointed. My father and stepmother died thinking we were all one big happy family... I want to get other peoples opinions on this. Thanks

Did she not have a will? You can't just 'take'.

Sorry you mentioned a will. You need to see it, it will be available for a small fee

Get a copy of the will here: https://www.gov.uk/search-will-probate.

If this is England or Wales you will be able to obtain probate and copy will online.

Yep you need to see the will.

The will is a public document after probate

See the will and confirm who is due what ASAP before the equity/cash dissappear.. Goodluck OP

Yeah definitely check the will

At first they said the will could not be located, then when I called him out on it, he said the will is there go get it If I want. Smells fishy to me. The properties have already been sold and money's dispensed.

I don't believe my father and stepmother would have cut us out like that. He said the lawyer told him because I wasn't officially adopted by her. I was devastated when he said that.

Who was the executor(s) of the will?
Have you now checked what it says?

You need to see the will. It will tell you who the executors were and what they should have done. If they haven't then you need legal advice

Why didn't you ask to see the will earlier?

Anyway, check it out now.

You need to read the Will, whatever it says in the Will is how the estate should be distributed.

The executor was my step-brothers cousin, outside the marriage. She did not share the will with me.

I personally think the will has been tampered with, redone, falsified. Because my stepmom had severe dementia in her later years.

Get a copy of the will now - you can do it in less than 5 minutes and it costs about £2.

The executors have a legal duty to carry out those wishes.

I did not force to see the will - not to sour our 35 year relationship.

Your father left his estate to your step-mother, that's then hers to decide what to do with. I understand why you feel disappointed but not much you do other than try and verify your legal position.

If a will was left and probate has been done then you can find it online using link someone else has provided above.

If no will, then I believe inheritance laws would mean that estate would be split between any biological(or adopted) children she had.

It will take 2 mins to search the website to see if there is a will and if so, it's just £3.00 to download a copy. Good luck!

Go online using the link posted - no one will know you've got a copy.

That's why they said the will can not be located. Because they knew that the laws would say that the moneys would go to them automatically. Things are making sense.

Then who are those executors if there's no will? You said there were executors

I live in Canada, but my step-mom died in Italy, Italian citizen. What are the laws there? anyone? thx

Wills can only be changed when someone is of sound mind. Why don't you just look at a copy? It's in the public domain.

That's what my brothers said. The cousin distributed the moneys. Fishy isn't it? I never argued with my brothers but we just don't see much of each other any more. I never call them, but they call me once a year.