JUNE 7, 2001
DEAR WANTING:
The fact that the solicitor asked for family members' addresses is a GOOD THING, since this means that they will probably be beneficiaries and he needs to know where to mail their checks.
The solicitor may or may not be required to inform your friend about the reading of the will--this custom is carried out in some countries, and in other countries it is not done, simply because it is considered unnecessary for a beneficiary to verbally "hear" a will being read in public--the beneficiary can simply read the document on his/her own time. Would your "friend" want to make a trip all the way to Nairn, Scotland just for that? It would be easier for your friend to write to the solicitor and ask that a copy of the will be mailed to her so she can see what it says, or to ask the solicitor if she has been named as a beneficiary and approximately how much she can expect to receive.
The solicitor may be somewhat reluctant to mail the will out because he is in the process of settling the estate affairs (he still has to pay the decedent's bills, funeral expenses, taxes, etc.) and actually won't know how much money or property will be distributed to beneficiaries until approximately 1-2 months. Therefore, whatever amounts are listed in the will (as going to the beneficiaries) may not necessarily be correct and the money can't be divided until all expenses have been paid.
But, generally speaking, if the amount that a beneficiary will receive is listed in the will, it can give you a general idea of what that beneficiary can expect.
If this beneficiary knows how to contact another family member in Nairn, then maybe that family member can keep her informed about what was mentioned in the reading of the will, if there is a reading of it.
SINCERELY,
[email protected]
