reading of a will of deceased

[elsieleah]

do I have the right to be told the beneficiaries of my late fathers will as he suffred a long term mental illness and I may wish to contest it?

[dzug]

You have the right to purchase a copy of his (and anyone else's come to that) will from the Probate Office.

[fredpuli47]

A will does not become a public document,which anyone can see the details of, until there has been a grant of probate.Once that happens you can get a copy from the probate office. Until the executors have got that grant the will is private and you have no automatic right to discover its contents, even though it's your father's will.

You'll have to make a few enquiries. Do you have family who would know and tell ? Can you find out, at least, who the executor or executors may be ? If you can find out who any executor is then invite them to tell you.

You can apply to any local probate registry for what is called a 'standing search'. This means that , when probate is granted you are notified as soon as it is and you'll then know straight away what the will says. To do this you'll need the details of name and date of death as recorded on the death certificate, just so you can fill in the form. There's a small fee for this service.The standing search is valid for six months but may be renewed.(It also discloses any grant that's been issued in the twelve months prior )