Thread: Wills.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I think it's pretty normal that probate has to be granted before funds are released.
Make sure your solicitor doesn't overlook any monies owing from insurances, superannuation etc. Be fussy about details.

Mick, in our case there are no funds. I am sitting here in a house that I cannot sell to leave Jan's share to her kids. I deliberately chose to change the title to tenants in common so that I couldn't **** it up against the wall ( I know myself, and I chose to do this ), but until there is a Grant of Probate then my hands are tied. I did not post this so that the legally aware could pontificate ( not you or anyone else ), but so that folk could have a look at their situation. If they do or not is not my issue.

Originally Posted by p38arover

Yep. I just turned 70 so how many years do I realistically still have 10? 15?

Ron, in October last year Jan was excited about going to Scotland. She went, and had a great time. She showed no sign of illness. On the 16th of February she would have celebrated her 70th Birthday. She died on the 16th of January. Make of that what you will.

You have no guarantee. Statistics mean absolutely nothing. My mother will be 100 in July. Will she make it? Who knows? My brother died when he was 9. Does it mean anything? No, of course it doesn't. You, of all of us, should know this. Sorry, Ron, but there it is.

Originally Posted by johntins

Ron, in October last year Jan was excited about going to Scotland. She went, and had a great time. She showed no sign of illness. On the 16th of February she would have celebrated her 70th Birthday. She died on the 16th of January. Make of that what you will.

You have no guarantee. Statistics mean absolutely nothing. My mother will be 100 in July. Will she make it? Who knows? My brother died when he was 9. Does it mean anything? No, of course it doesn't. You, of all of us, should know this. Sorry, Ron, but there it is.

Forest Gump said it well, " life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get".

Originally Posted by johntins

Ron, in October last year Jan was excited about going to Scotland. She went, and had a great time. She showed no sign of illness. On the 16th of February she would have celebrated her 70th Birthday. She died on the 16th of January.

I'm sorry to hear that, John. I hadn't heard of her recent passing. I had assumed she had passed away quite some time back.

Originally Posted by johntins

Mick, in our case there are no funds. I am sitting here in a house that I cannot sell to leave Jan's share to her kids. I deliberately chose to change the title to tenants in common so that I couldn't **** it up against the wall ( I know myself, and I chose to do this ), but until there is a Grant of Probate then my hands are tied. I did not post this so that the legally aware could pontificate ( not you or anyone else ), but so that folk could have a look at their situation. If they do or not is not my issue.

That must be very frustrating for you. You are spot on to say that people should have a look at their situations. I know it's one of those unpleasant topics that is easy to defer, but it certainly is important. Its great that you are encouraging people to act. I hope the probate goes through quickly for you.
I only mentioned checking insurances and super because when my father died the solicitor overlooked checking on certain quite old insurances, even though we had provided the documents, and we had to push him to chase it up, with surprisingly positive results, so a bit of nitpicking can pay off.
An unrelated topic is that, quite by chance, I have just recovered $502 from the Australian Tax Office dating back to 1992, which had been wrongly sent to someone else because the ATO had put the wrong BSB number on a payment, so that's a nice little bonus.
Also, my super fund has just found an account I didn't even know I had, dating back to 1998, so we're hoping a few $ might have survived being eaten up by the fees. If only...
So I was just supporting you and encouraging people to be fussy about checking details.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

So I was just supporting you and encouraging people to be fussy about checking details.

Sorry, Mick. I never intended to imply anything else.

Originally Posted by johntins

Sorry, Mick. I never intended to imply anything else.

No problems mate, I agree with you.

On the subject of details, I've heard that naming a beneficiary in a will and/or super can lead to problems if it's not the same one or same shares/percentages. Pro'ly best to make sure they are identical in each/all, with legal advice ofcourse.