Daughter accuses ‘disrespectful’ stepmother of hiding her father’s will

Will disputes between family members can get very ugly, and one woman has found herself in the middle of such a situation after accusing her widowed stepmother of hiding her father’s will in a bid to keep his entire estate for herself. 

Writing on online forum Gransnet, the woman revealed that her lying stepmother declared that her father had died intestate, which means he had not left a will or instructions as to what should happen to his assets upon his death.

However the upset daughter says she is positive that her father made a will several years ago, along with his wife as they both agreed to create identical ‘mirror wills’ in which they agreed to leave everything to each other, in the event of one of their death, then passing to their collective adult children.

The woman went on to say that when she requested a copy of her father’s last will and testament, following his death last year, she was told by lawyers that his widow had declared he died intestate, adding all deeds of the administration had been issued to her.

“We definitely know there was a will as my aunt signed as a witness,” she said. “It means if she were to die today her two adult children would inherit the lot. I know the final outcome will be the same anyhow as there was never anything to stop her leaving it all to them anyway, but what she has done it [sic] still wrong and disrespectful to my DF [darling father].”

Read more: ‘Money hungry’: Family heirloom from dying dad sparks bitter sibling feud

It seems many readers have been in similar situations, with many advising the daughter to contact the solicitor who made the will.  “You do need to see that will, if it’s not at the first solicitor try other local solicitors,” one commentator wrote.

Others wished the daughter luck, with one adding: “Presumably, you now know the way forward. I hope you’re able to resolve things without too much unpleasantness.”

However, one reader warned the daughter there is nothing stopping anyone from destroying a will. “They may have made wills at that solicitor’s office, but if she had the original and she didn’t like the contents, she could just destroy it,” she said. “My dear friend died, and her will was with her son. He didn’t like the contents so he just got a lighter and burned it up.”

What do you think? Have you been caught in a will dispute before?