How to find out amount of inheritance

[AutumnComes]

Can anyone advise on how to find out the amount of inheritance received some years ago? A friend is going through a divorce and her solicitor is hopeful the remains of an inheritance she received might be able to be ringfenced (this would be very useful, her STBExH has been financially abusive and she has health issues and caring responsibilities that will make working full time difficult). But she needs to know how much she got - it has been mixed with her earnings, other money she managed to save, etc, and has been eaten away at over the years. She's trawling through bank statements and struggling a lot to piece together the original amount. Is there any simpler way? The estate was split evenly between her and her sibling, less costs like headstone and funeral, so if she can find anywhere the value of the estate that would help but I don't know how or where that information would be.

Get a copy of the will from probate perhaps?

Sorry. I misread your post. You won’t know exactly from just a will

If you go to the probate office website, most but not all, wills are available there. You can get a copy of the grant of probate and the actual will (if available) electronically for £1.50 and it takes up to 30 days.

I don't think the will would have a figure on it because it was just that the whole estate was split between her and her sibling, so no figures specified, if you see what I mean.

Does she remember who was the executor?

How long ago was it and does she still have the bank account open that it was paid into? Does she know the month and year it was paid to her?

@MangoReinhardt

Does she remember who was the executor?

She and her sister were both executors I believe.

@alwayswrighty

How long ago was it and does she still have the bank account open that it was paid into? Does she know the month and year it was paid to her?

About a decade ago I think. She still has the bank account I believe, that's what she's going through statements from, but she says it came in in dribs and drabs, and so she's having trouble finding all the bits and adding them up. She's under immense stress atm, her STBExH is an arse, and is refusing to leave the family home even though he has somewhere to go and she doesn't, and the stress is making admin very difficult (she is ND) not to mention the fact she's trying to fit it all in to the times he's not home and so sometimes has to stop part way through. I was just really hoping there was somewhere to find the total, some simple way neither of us had thought of (I have no experience with wills or inheritance myself).

If she applies for a copy of the probate from gov.uk that will give her the value of the estate as at the date of death. There will have been other expenses to come out of it - legal fees etc - but she'll get a ballpark figure and the name of the solicitors. The solicitors may have kept a copy of the estate accounts (we do) so she could go back to them and they should have the figures on their system (depending how long ago it was).

Can she ask her sister?

If she can't easily get a copy of probate, then her sister is the first call

If her sis doesn't have it, then I'd ask the bank if they can find a record of money paid in by the solicitor.

I could be wrong but I think if the inheritance has been mixed in with her other money to the extent she's not even sure how much it was, it might be difficult to argue it's separate from the marital pot and shouldn't be considered?

If she has one reference, then can’t she just search her bank for just those details? Presumable it all came from the same source?

I’m with Santander and can do that with online banking. She might be able to ring up her bank and ask them to do it?

@StCharlotte

If she applies for a copy of the probate from gov.uk that will give her the value of the estate as at the date of death. There will have been other expenses to come out of it - legal fees etc - but she'll get a ballpark figure and the name of the solicitors. The solicitors may have kept a copy of the estate accounts (we do) so she could go back to them and they should have the figures on their system (depending how long ago it was).

Will the copy of probate definitely have the value of the estate? I suggested that a while ago, she said she had got a copy but it hadn't got the info on it.

Her sister is no longer alive, unfortunately, so that's not an avenue she can pursue.

Mocktail, I don't know, but her solicitor is going to try and make the argument. It's only been mixed with her money, not into any joint pots. Things are complicated financially, so I'm leaving that up to her solicitor. It's worth a try I guess.

Bellex I don't know, she's going through paper statements atm that the bank posted her. I know in my online banking, stuff that's more than a little while ago isn't searchable except by trawling through statement by statement by eye, but I suppose it varies by bank. I don't know if the bank would do it for her, I didn't know they could do that. I'll suggest it, thanks.

The letters of administration does have the value on it, it's in the last few lines at the bottom. It's the estimate you have to give before they will grant probate so it's not going to be the same as the actual amount that was distributed because who knows the value of a house/jewellery before you actually sell it. As others have said, you can search and download a copy for a small fee.

@mocktail

I could be wrong but I think if the inheritance has been mixed in with her other money to the extent she's not even sure how much it was, it might be difficult to argue it's separate from the marital pot and shouldn't be considered?

This. It sounds like it has been mixed into the marital pot.

Does she still have details of the estate bank account? That would be easier to find the information in.

That's a good point, AuditAngel, I shall make the suggestion.