Looks like my grandmother won't make it through the night. I need info on wills!

**nitrox28** · 10-23-2006, 12:28 AM

My grandmother is 90 and she is on her deathbed. We got a call a little while ago saying we need to say goodbye if we choose to. Now here's the deal: she's worth about $5,000,000 and my family (extended included) is yelling and screaming about who is getting what blah blah blah. Can anyone go to the reading of the will, or is it only for those recieving something?? Last we heard it looked like the grandkids (me) would get something around $50k! There's been some bullshit family politics since then however. I know it's contents will become public record after it is read but I want to be there just to make sure someone in my family isn't trying to pull a fast one

She's been sick for a looooooong time so this isn't really a shock to anyone. She needs to pass on to be honest. She just sits in a wheelchair and stares at the floor when she isn't sleeping and she doesn't know any of us anymore etc. Thanks for any thoughts or tips.

**FasstChevys** · 10-23-2006, 02:00 AM

Originally Posted by nitrox28

My grandmother is 90 and she is on her deathbed. We got a call a little while ago saying we need to say goodbye if we choose to. Now here's the deal: she's worth about $5,000,000 and my family (extended included) is yelling and screaming about who is getting what blah blah blah. Can anyone go to the reading of the will, or is it only for those recieving something?? Last we heard it looked like the grandkids (me) would get something around $50k! There's been some bullshit family politics since then however. I know it's contents will become public record after it is read but I want to be there just to make sure someone in my family isn't trying to pull a fast one

She's been sick for a looooooong time so this isn't really a shock to anyone. She needs to pass on to be honest. She just sits in a wheelchair and stares at the floor when she isn't sleeping and she doesn't know any of us anymore etc. Thanks for any thoughts or tips.

If I'm not mistaken, anyone's name that's in the will, is included in the reading. God rest her soul.

**x10-wakerider** · 10-23-2006, 06:45 AM

Typical people now days are always worried about money not the person! I knew a lady that was dying and she always heard the family arguing about what they were going to get, they were never worried about her, so she donated her entire estate to charity! It served her greedy inconsiderate kids right!

**98MustGT** · 10-23-2006, 07:17 AM

I know someone who put in their will "If anyone takes legal action regarding the will they are automatically excluded"

**FasstChevys** · 10-23-2006, 07:26 AM

My Mom put in her will, "If no one agrees with the contents of the will, everything will be sold, and the cash will be split evenly."

I tend to like the... "if anyone takes legal action regarding the will, they are automatically exluded"... better.

**nitrox28** · 10-23-2006, 07:32 AM

She passed on a few hours ago. My aunt is the executor and she and her family are the ones trying to hoodwink everyone which is funny because my uncle jus sold his shopping center for $10M last year! Everyone on my moms side of the family is LOADED and everyone on my dads side is pretty much a farmer. My dads side of the family are the people I really care about because they care about everyone else. My family on my moms side are stuck up assholes. They gave my son $5K when he was born but we get plastic rain ponchos for Christmas!?!?! I honestly don't care who gets what but I REALLY hope a few family members don't get squat because of their attitudes.

**SeVeReDiStOrTiOn** · 10-23-2006, 08:39 AM

Sorry to hear about her passing...hopefully everything works out with the will.

**tnthub** · 10-23-2006, 09:03 AM

The executor basically just makes sure the will is followed. A bank account for the estate will need to be opened and proceeeds transferred into it for distribution. If there is a trust established, it is usually outside the scope of the will and takes precedence if there is a discrepancy between any will and a trust. Usually an estate lawyer oversees the details of the distribution, if any, and that is often the lawyer who wrote the will.

When my mom passed the estate was really screwed up because the lawyer who wrote the will, and also wrote her trust, left a few words out of the will which would have facilitated the estate distribution. The bottom line is that a year and a half later the estate is still open (max can be three years), and everything ended up going to my brother instead of being split the way my mom wanted. Crap happens. The best you can do is to preserve the integrity of your grandmothers wishes whether they be fair or not as that is what she desired.

I am sorry for your loss. There is nothing more ugly than a bunch of wealthy people fighting over a toaster.

**ramrod** · 10-23-2006, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by nitrox28

My grandmother is 90 and she is on her deathbed. We got a call a little while ago saying we need to say goodbye if we choose to. Now here's the deal: she's worth about $5,000,000 and my family (extended included) is yelling and screaming about who is getting what blah blah blah. Can anyone go to the reading of the will, or is it only for those recieving something?? Last we heard it looked like the grandkids (me) would get something around $50k! There's been some bullshit family politics since then however. I know it's contents will become public record after it is read but I want to be there just to make sure someone in my family isn't trying to pull a fast one

She's been sick for a looooooong time so this isn't really a shock to anyone. She needs to pass on to be honest. She just sits in a wheelchair and stares at the floor when she isn't sleeping and she doesn't know any of us anymore etc. Thanks for any thoughts or tips.

No offense bro, but I think that you need to contact a lawyer, and you should keep your family problems to your-self! I will pray for your Grandmother!

**Sarge** · 10-23-2006, 06:37 PM

I'm leaving everything to Zboner.
Sorry about your Grandma man....

**Trouble maker** · 10-23-2006, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge

I'm leaving everything to Zboner.
Sorry about your Grandma man....

Damn SARGE....I let your insurance agents wizz on every car except the GTO..can't I get a little something?LOL!
Sorry about your Grandma Nitrox......

**gwballin** · 10-24-2006, 08:34 AM

Even if it is your aunt that is the executor of the will, she is not in total control since a probate court will oversee the process to make sure that a valid will is enforced.

The link below has more information on the probate process.

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-1783.html

**shadegray** · 10-25-2006, 06:56 PM

Originally Posted by nitrox28

She passed on a few hours ago. My aunt is the executor and she and her family are the ones trying to hoodwink everyone which is funny because my uncle jus sold his shopping center for $10M last year! Everyone on my moms side of the family is LOADED and everyone on my dads side is pretty much a farmer. My dads side of the family are the people I really care about because they care about everyone else. My family on my moms side are stuck up assholes. They gave my son $5K when he was born but we get plastic rain ponchos for Christmas!?!?! I honestly don't care who gets what but I REALLY hope a few family members don't get squat because of their attitudes.

I might be reading this wrong, but are you saying they're assholes because they gave your son 5k when he was born, but only got you, a 35 year old man, a something cheap for christmas?

**Zboner** · 10-25-2006, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge

I'm leaving everything to Zboner.
Sorry about your Grandma man....

even the girl in you avitar?

**Knighthawk LS1** · 10-25-2006, 07:16 PM

Lawyers are needed for this type of thing, god rest her soul....

I hate how families bitch about who gets money now....just makes me sick.

**0rion** · 10-25-2006, 11:50 PM

First off, sorry to hear about your grandma.

Money has very little to do with it. There's always a few in every family that act that way whether it be over $5M or a set of dinner plates. My grandma died a few years ago and my aunts were like vultures. They were bickering and fighting over everything she owned. When it was all said and done my dad brought me a figurine that was grandmas and I declined it. I had never even seen it before so it was something recent that someone else had probably given her. It meant nothing to me. My grandma was an extremely religious person. She went to church every week and lived and breathed it. What no one else at the time knew was that about 2 months before she died she mailed me her bible and signed "to my pretty boy" in the cover. That's what she called me growing up. That bible means more to me than any dollar bill or set of dinner plates out there.

**Sarge** · 10-26-2006, 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by gwballin

Even if it is your aunt that is the executor of the will, she is not in total control since a probate court will oversee the process to make sure that a valid will is enforced.

The link below has more information on the probate process.

http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-1783.html

If there is a valid will it doesnt go to probabte. I was executor of my Father in Laws will and we didnt have to probabte it.

**Nastyfoot** · 10-26-2006, 04:24 AM

I think it's right out of a t.v. show that your counting the money and she wasn't even dead. Sounds pretty dysfunctional to me. Musta been a lotta love for grandma for all the wrong reasons

**gwballin** · 10-26-2006, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by Sarge

If there is a valid will it doesnt go to probabte. I was executor of my Father in Laws will and we didnt have to probabte it.

I should have qualified my statement with "generally".

http://law.freeadvice.com/estate_pla...obate_will.htm

Generally it is necessary to go through probate or, in the case of smaller estates, a less formal procedure that is still under the general supervision of the probate court, before the deceased's property can be legally distributed.

Even if a person dies with a Will (which is known as dying "testate"), a court generally has to have an opportunity to allow others to object to the Will, and if there are any objections, to determine if the Will is valid, because it is always possible that

(1) there was a later Will (which, if valid, would replace the older Will), or

(2) the Will was made at a time the deceased was not mentally competent to make a Will, or

(3) the Will was the result of fraud, mistake or "undue influence" or

(4) the Will was not properly "executed", or

(5) the so-called Will is actually a forgery, or

(6) for some other reason (such as a pre-existing contract) the Will is not fully valid, or

(7) there are other claims against the deceased's estate that impact what the beneficiaries under the Will would receive.

But I suppose different state may have different laws. I was just trying to assure nitrox that his aunt was not in total control and that even with a will the court will be involved in the process.