Influence on elderly relative to change will

[SmokeBlackCat]

We have heard on the family grapevine that an elderly relative is being influenced by other family members to change their will. This person lives alone and are very dependant on these particular family members who live locally to take them places and help them. They are generous to these family members so they’re not financially out of pocket, but I know it’s a massive commitment to have someone so reliant on you for help. But the elderly relative has told their executor (another member of the family) that these local family members have suggested they make an appointment with a solicitor to change the will in their favour. Allegedly they have suggested this so they can make sure they can financially support this individual as they get older. The solicitor appointment has since been cancelled but this seems very worrying. The rest of the family live quite a distance away so can’t easily be around.

I understand people can leave their money to whoever they want. But it’s the alleged influence that concerns me. If someone makes an appointment to change their will, is it a requirement that the solicitor sees them alone (so they know it is the individual’s own choice who they leave their money to)? Can and should we contact the solicitors to make them aware that this might be happening? It’s a small community so the solicitor is likely to know all the family members involved.

Thank you.

Not sure how changing a will will enable them to help the elderly relative financially as they get older as the will only comes into effect when the relative passes away. Perhaps they are asking to be given financial power of attorney?

I was POA for an elderly relative who made a bit of a hobby of changing their will according to how various relatives were vexing them at any given moment! I think they probably paid for the solicitors Christmas office party from the fees! It was more paintings, furniture, etc than money or property but yes, the solicitor always wanted to talk to them alone, even though I wasn’t a beneficiary in any of the numerous versions of the will.

My first thought was that a financial POA would be the way to help someone with their money when they can’t do it themselves. It is possible there has been confusion somewhere in the line of communication between what’s been said originally and what we’ve heard.

This relative does have form for having different favourites and falling out with people. And their sibling (our closer relative) has form for worrying who their sibling is going to leave their money to. We’ve generally just rolled our eyes but this suggestion they’d been asked / influenced to change their will was disclosed a conversation with a younger and more sensible relative (the executor) which gives it more credibility .

It sounds like the executor is on it, probably like the person is quite on it too to have shared this ,so not sure you need to be involved. We've recently spoken to our near relative about if they are happy with their will because of a change in circumstances and their decisions from a while ago look a bit bonkers now. However from the conversation they don't seem to have capacity to consider a change and that's that unfortunately. We could be accused of exactly what your post is about by people in the wider circle who aren't aware of all the facts.

My mother (90) recently re-made her will after my sister died. She also did a deed of variation of her share of my sister's estate. My brother (a model of rectitude) took her to the appointments. In both cases the solicitor spoke to my mother on her own, explaining that this was necessary as coercion does occur.