Help or advice needed please

[Kelly1507]

Hello! First time user so please be kind!

I am looking for some advice please.

Having recently looked into my family tree on ancestry, I came across a probate record for my father who passed away in 1981. I applied for the probate record and could see that the sum of around 10k was granted to my mum and her solicitor (my father passed in an accident and the solicitor was appointed at the inquest to take the company to court for negligence). This has come as a huge shock to my mum, who was only 19 at the time, as she was never told of this money, nor has she received any of it.

There could be a really simple explanation to this, but I would like to know if anyone can provide advice of where I can go next to:
a. Find out where this money came from in the first place (my mum is adamant my father had no money at all)
b. Where the money went?

thanks in advance

k

[des8]

40 years down the line it is going to be difficult.

First stop would be the executors of your father's estate.
The grant of probate will tell you who was appointed to settle the estate, and their liability remains for their lifetime.
If they are still alive ask for a copy of the estate accounts.

Try and trace the solicitors you mention.
Even if they are no longer in business it is just possible that the firm who took over still have the files in a dusty archive

good luck

[Kelly1507]

Hello! The grant of probate says ‘the letter of administration of all the X estate which by law devolves to and vests I. The personal representative of the said interstate were granted by the Hugh court of justice at the said registry to (my mum) and (solicitor).

we are trying to track down the solicitor. Am I going crazy or does this appear odd? Is there a reasonable reason why my mum would never have known of said funds?

[des8]

As your mother and the solicitor were joint personal representatives they should have worked together .
It is of course possible. bearing in mind your mothers situation at that time (a young mother suddenly left widowed) she did not realise fully what was happening and agreed with the solicitor that he should deal with your father's estate and left it up to him.
But even so she should at least have seen the final accounts.
After all, who would suspect* a solicitor might not act ethically!

Good luck with finding the solicitor (although the files are more important than the man!)