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Original poster

Friend forged her mother's will

219 replies

Beautynamechange · 17/02/2024 01:13

I have recently learnt that my friend who I have known since forever forged her late mother's will.

I don't want to go into too much detail about how I learnt this as it will be too outing.

It was nearly 4 years ago when her mother was most vulnerable on her death bed little over a week before she passed. There was another will put in place for around 20 years before this new will and that previous will was destroyed by my friend. Both wills were made at home.

It has nothing to do with me, but my friend took advantage of her dying mother, and now I feel different towards her because of this. I am supposed to be her bridesmaid at her wedding in a few months and I cannot get past how someone could do that for her own advantage. I have known this friend since nursery. We are both late 20's now.

Is it wrong of me to feel different about my friend? I understand this has nothing to do with me but it's the fact she has done it. How cruel towards her other family members.

OP posts:
unsync · 17/02/2024 08:25

My ex H forged his father's Will. I'd totally forgotten that.

It's quite a big undertaking as it needs to be witnessed. What was her motivation?

TheFutureMrsWolowitz · 17/02/2024 08:27

An awfully long time ago I did 6 months of my training contract in probate. Family members fiddling about with wills was so hugely frequent that we were always on the alert.

Among other things I recall another local firm sending out a mass e-mail to all the probate lawyers in town saying that we needed to be aware of an adult child of one of their clients who was dragging his father around (who did not have capacity) all the firms trying to get a will change (in his favour... obviously).

It was / is a big thing for a law firm to identify a client to others. But the duty of care issue overrode that in that particular case.

Galliano · 17/02/2024 08:32

TheFutureMrsWolowitz · 17/02/2024 08:27

An awfully long time ago I did 6 months of my training contract in probate. Family members fiddling about with wills was so hugely frequent that we were always on the alert.

Among other things I recall another local firm sending out a mass e-mail to all the probate lawyers in town saying that we needed to be aware of an adult child of one of their clients who was dragging his father around (who did not have capacity) all the firms trying to get a will change (in his favour... obviously).

It was / is a big thing for a law firm to identify a client to others. But the duty of care issue overrode that in that particular case.

Im sure coercion is common but in this case OP states a forgery.
However does mention vulnerability of the mother so who knows.
Also don’t understand why the old will was destroyed given a new will would supersede it.
A strange story indeed!

blitzen · 17/02/2024 08:32

What was changed in the will?
Was her mother of sound mind?

dottiedodah · 17/02/2024 08:33

If true she is a fraud,maybe report her,although hard as a one time friend. How did u find out though

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 17/02/2024 08:36

WandaWonder · 17/02/2024 05:27

How? ID would be checked

Provided it was (or appeared to be) witnessed by two people who weren’t beneficiaries, no ID would be needed.

I have seen a perfectly valid will, written at home in very wobbly writing by someone who was almost on his deathbed, that was correctly witnessed. But there was no question of any dodginess about that one.

OTOH I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if a someone we know coerced his MiL when she was very ill, to rewrite her will in her DD’s favour. The family is decidedly dodgy (one of them (solicitor) struck off and banged up for fraud and money laundering, and there have been several other very questionable matters over the years.

ThreeRingCircus · 17/02/2024 08:39

How do you know this? Surely she didn't admit doing it? Did she forge signatures of witnesses?

YireosDodeAver · 17/02/2024 08:40

You shouldn't be "trying to get past this" - you know that her personality and ethics are deeply flawed and she's not a good person. Why would you want to be her friend or bridesmaid? If that's how she treats her own mother she won't hesitate to take advantage of you or anyone else when they are vulnerable and she sees an opportunity. Be on your guard around her and minimise contact.

Chouquettes · 17/02/2024 08:40

Beautynamechange · 17/02/2024 01:13

I have recently learnt that my friend who I have known since forever forged her late mother's will.

I don't want to go into too much detail about how I learnt this as it will be too outing.

It was nearly 4 years ago when her mother was most vulnerable on her death bed little over a week before she passed. There was another will put in place for around 20 years before this new will and that previous will was destroyed by my friend. Both wills were made at home.

It has nothing to do with me, but my friend took advantage of her dying mother, and now I feel different towards her because of this. I am supposed to be her bridesmaid at her wedding in a few months and I cannot get past how someone could do that for her own advantage. I have known this friend since nursery. We are both late 20's now.

Is it wrong of me to feel different about my friend? I understand this has nothing to do with me but it's the fact she has done it. How cruel towards her other family members.

Aren’t there supposed to be witnesses that sign a will ?

SlightlygrumpyBettyswaitress · 17/02/2024 08:42

It really isn't hard to do I wouldn't have thought. Esp if the original beneficiaries were not aware.
Wills are not lodged anywhere unless you choose to.
But I could not move past this. It would be an ex friend. You have to carry that knowledge for ever.
Did she have siblings that were cut out?

Agapornis · 17/02/2024 08:42

What was changed? Did she make sure it was split roughly equally between all children with a bit extra for those who cared got her, rather than it all going to a donkey sanctuary?

WinterLobelia · 17/02/2024 08:42

I reckon it would be easier to forge a witness and their signature than a testator signature.

Catinknickers · 17/02/2024 08:45

I think it depends why she did it. If the mother had left her fortune to the cats home or to some feckless cousin and not to her daughter fair enough.

I have been a witness to a will twice that was drawn up and ‘signed’ after the person’s death. It was for good reasons.

Testina · 17/02/2024 08:45

Beautynamechange · 17/02/2024 01:23

Has anyone been able to move past knowing a friend has done this or have been in a similar situation?

Why would you?
Just why would you want to move past that?

If the mother had 3 kids, and one had beaten her up and stolen money from her to buy drugs, and mum had been very clear that he was going to be written out but later no-one could find that will… you see where I’m going, you can make up scenarios that might justify it to many people.

But unless you’ve got such a scenario, I don’t see why you’d even try to move past it.

Soontobe60 · 17/02/2024 08:46

Catinknickers · 17/02/2024 08:45

I think it depends why she did it. If the mother had left her fortune to the cats home or to some feckless cousin and not to her daughter fair enough.

I have been a witness to a will twice that was drawn up and ‘signed’ after the person’s death. It was for good reasons.

So you’re admitting to committing fraud!!! Twice 😳😳😳

WinterLobelia · 17/02/2024 08:47

Catinknickers · 17/02/2024 08:45

I think it depends why she did it. If the mother had left her fortune to the cats home or to some feckless cousin and not to her daughter fair enough.

I have been a witness to a will twice that was drawn up and ‘signed’ after the person’s death. It was for good reasons.

Seriously? that is fraud as well. or do you mean a deed of variation that is done when all beneficiaries agree and is perfectly legal when done correctly via a solicitor and under certain conditions? I hope the latter.

Capmagturk · 17/02/2024 08:47

That's shocking and I'd have to cut someone like that out my life. If they could do that to their own family members what could they do to you.

Polecat07 · 17/02/2024 08:48

So who did she get to witness it

Flamme · 17/02/2024 08:49

WinterLobelia · 17/02/2024 08:42

I reckon it would be easier to forge a witness and their signature than a testator signature.

Yes and no. It would need to be a real person, and you would need to be reasonably sure they weren't going to pop up and deny ever signing anything if asked. You'd also need to be reasonably sure it was physically possible - if it turned out that on the day in question that person was 100 miles away it would be just a tad difficult to explain.

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 17/02/2024 08:51

I'm not clear on whether the friend just forged her mum's signature (clearly a fraud) or got her mum to change her will when she was close to death (would depend on capacity: not everyone who's dying loses their ability to make decisions for themselves).

mitogoshi · 17/02/2024 08:52

Devil is in the detail!

Did the mother ask her to? Was the estate left completely to someone no longer in her life? Was her daughter not listed because she wasn't born at the time? Wills written 20 years prior can be out of date - and wills unsigned or scribbled close to death aren't uncommon.

Without the full story none of us can judge - the daughter changing the will to disinherit a sibling is very different to doing it at her mother's behest to remove a former partner!

Nannyfannybanny · 17/02/2024 08:53

My ex H forged my signature on a big loan against our house. He had my signature "witnessed" apparently by a neighbours partner (I don't know if he was aware) he failed to pay. I had a letter from the loan company,rang them said I knew nothing about this loan, they told me I was lying because they had my signature. They didn't have a copy of my signature to compare with,so how could they know!! (Lost the house,made homeless,small kids...lost the husband) I just knew on MN, Brexit had to have a mention, I respect my friends religious, political affiliations,as long as they aren't breaking the law.

MacaroonMacaron · 17/02/2024 08:53

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Quite. Properly written, signed and witnessed? And none of the beneficiaries of the previous will thought there was anything fishy in a deathbed will made in someone's last days which changed everything?

Another Scottish phrase - aye right.

Weonlyhavealoanofit · 17/02/2024 08:54

You haven’t set out why your friend behaved as she did, therefore I don’t know how she has justified (to herself or to you) her actions. On the face of it the destruction of the old will and the forgery of the new will, suggests that your friend is ruthless, greedy, manipulative and immoral. I doubt that you need MN to tell you that…but having behaved as she did, why tell you? Does she see you as of a similar mindset? Does she see you as pathetically loyal? Will she honour the promises made at her wedding? Yes it all sounds a bit old fashioned to talk about promises and honour etc but if her behaviour has disturbed and troubled you, then I’d pass on the bridesmaid support act. If your friend forged a will to enrich herself and then told you about it, you are compromised enough.

Onelifeonly · 17/02/2024 08:55

If true, I wouldn't be able to respect my friend and therefore couldn't be friends anymore.

However, it seems odd how many recent posts are about horrible friends who are expecting the poster to be their bridesmaid soon. Do many people really get asked to be bridesmaid for someone they find unpleasant or does it just make an interesting discussion?