Deed of variation

[PuddingandPie1]

My parents divorced and my Father subsequently remarried. When he died he had a Will (he was sensible in that sort of thing!) that named his widow and a local solicitor as the executors. The months went by and nothing seemed to be happening and in the end I phoned the solicitor. Their excuse (explanation?) was that they had been working on the deed of variation - one that excluded me almost entirely from the Will. I was still to get some trinkets and first pick of the books from his library but no money.
I 100% accept that the deed couldn't have been implemented without my consent but it seems strange that time and money had been spent without the solicitor even speaking to the person with most to lose from the proposed changes.

That does seem very strange. Is it his widow who has started this, and if so, why? Why would you consent to it?

Sounds very odd. I thought there could be no deed of variation without the consent of all of the original beneficiaries. Why would they think you would consent?

Yes it was my step-mother who was the driving force. She felt then, and still does, that she should take priority over members of what she called "his first family". I don't think she realised at the start that I would have to consent and once she did realise this she certainly gave her solicitor reason to believe that I had agreed. I never did agree and the original will was implemented as far as was possible. Most of his best books and collectibles had vanished before I got to visit the house so I'm guessing she sold or hid them?

I wouldn't be at all happy that the solicitor went along with any of this on the say so of your step mother alone. You need to speak to the solicitor and make it crystal clear that you don't agree with this at all and to get it stopped.

Also mention the missing items. This is all wrong.

Or maybe even be prepared to get a solicitor of your own on to this.

So your step-mother wants a deed of variation to write you out of your late father's will? You need your own independent legal advice.

This has all been rumbling on for years. The money side was sorted because it was a specified sum and since Dad had that money in his estate it just got paid out - despite furious letters from his widow to family, friends, newspapers, MPs and the rest.
His extensive library was rather less extensive when I finally gained access. Most of the better items, like the first editions, had vanished and she then claimed they had never existed. It was the same with all his hobby purchases from many years of collecting. They had just vanished!