Contacting will writers/solicitors to try to find a will

[Legiquette]

Hey ,

Could someone tell me what the usual procedure is for this? I contacted a local will writer with what I assumed would sufficient information (contacted one solicitor prior to this who were super quick and simply needed a few basic details) and they came back with 20 questions (some of which I really don't think was their business) and said they would need to speak to their solicitor first and couldn't give me any sort of time-frame?

I have all the relevant details to provide them if they do actually have the will but they just seemed sort of cagey and long (still waiting for a response). I need this info urgently but am unsure of the law surrounding it all.

Could anyone please advice?

Thanks

[wales01man]

Re: Contacting will writers/solicitors to try to find a will

Is this for someone deceased or still alive if deceased has probate been granted?

[Amethyst]

Re: Contacting will writers/solicitors to try to find a will

Some info https://legalbeagles.info/library/wi...cating-a-will/
[MENTION=85500]Peridot[/MENTION] might be able to help

Are you contacting this local will writer's to engage them to locate the will ? Same with the previous solicitors , but they failed to locate it?

[Legiquette]

Re: Contacting will writers/solicitors to try to find a will

Is this for someone deceased or still alive if deceased has probate been granted?

Deceased. Probate has been granted according to an old will submitted by a beneficiary, there should be a more recent one somewhere.

Some info https://legalbeagles.info/library/wi...cating-a-will/
@Peridot might be able to help

Are you contacting this local will writer's to engage them to locate the will ? Same with the previous solicitors , but they failed to locate it?

Yes, the other solicitors I contacted don't have it, the will writer hasn't given any information either way.

[Peridot]

Re: Contacting will writers/solicitors to try to find a will

Hi Legiquette,

I assume that you suspect the more recent Will may have been created by the will writers, hence your contact with them?

Are you an executor under the previous Will which has already had a Grant made? I'm afraid it is detective work really. What has lead you to suspect there may be a more recent Will?

If you aren't the executor who applied for the Grant, then have you discussed your belief there may be a more recent Will with the executor? Really it should be the executor locating the most recent Will, but of course there may be circumstances where this isn't done. A little more information may be helpful here.

Is it likely that the person who passed away would have gone to a different solicitor to the original one they used for the Will (if they prepared it through a lawyer), to apply for the Grant or are you just contacting lawyers in the locality to see if there is another Will. You could contact the local Law Society who may be willing to send a round robin to law firms in the locality or Certainty could be contacted who will perform a similar search for a fee. They can be found here https://www.nationalwillregister.co....illsearch.aspx but I anticipate they will only deal with the executor.

[Legiquette]

Re: Contacting will writers/solicitors to try to find a will

It's complicated. The remaining executor is a demon and things aren't going too well on the communication front. They are also the main beneficiary of the will submitted for probate. The will is very old and several people mentioned in it have since died (one back up trustee & a beneficiary) and one has been very ill (the other reasonable executor). The deceased said he had changed his will since then and was completely estranged from the executor/beneficiary. Unfortunately it seems the executor may have destroyed the more recent will when given access to his property after his death.