Jewellery given after Will is written.

[stav4187]

Hi please may I have some advice please.

My sister sadly passed in June from coronavirus, I am executor for her Will.

The Will was written in 2012 and states that all her Jewellery is to be passed to her 2 children.

In 2018 my sister met her partner and became engaged, her partner bought an engagement ring and nomination bracelet as well as other gifts.

I received the jewellery box from my sisters partner and from my mum and my sisters children it is believed that several pieces of jewellery are missing as well as the nomination bracelet and engagement ring.

My sisters partner has admitted and accepted that she has kept hold of the bracelet and engagement ring and states that she is keeping the jewellery she bought as it was bought after the Will was written.

Is this right ? Surely not and is it worth getting into an argument over ?

Any advice regarding this appreciated - my thoughts are that anything belonging to my late sister given as a gift should be included and it is for my sisters children to make that decision of who gets what jewellery.

Thanks for any help.

[des8]

The jewellery, even if obtained after the will was executed, is part of your late sister's estate.
The value of those pieces should be included in the total value of the estate for IHT purposes.
Depending on the wording the jewellery either passes to her two daughters, or possibly falls into the residue.

If her daughters (and other beneficiaries if the items are part of the residuary estate) wish to vary the will, as beneficiaries that is their prerogative.
Whether or not it is worth demanding the return of the stolen items (yes, it is theft from the estate) I cannot guess as I have no idea of value (monetary and sentimental) or how important is the relationship between your sister's partner and the rest of the family.

[Manxman]

Are you sure your sister did not make a new will after she got engaged? (Seems a bit odd to me that she would go so far as to get engaged without ensuring any provision for her prospective(?) husband/wife)

[chappyhm]

I'm actually aware of what you're writing about. The main thing here is that the general people's mindset has changed dramatically. The "self expression" term is nowadays much more important than just copying style from fashionable models or blindly following trends famous fashion houses set. Expressing your inner world is important to feel yourself better mentally, which is pretty beneficial for fashion industry and jewelry industry as well. They both are able to create very different items and everyone would find something suitable for him/herself. I've personally found a pearl necklace which represents me pretty well. This online store, generally speaking, has actually a wide choice of items and they're all very different. Btw, the quality is excellent. Finding what suites your desires and what represents who you are is fundamental for you feeling confident, you know.