Will received from Probate Office said to be a 'fake' ?

[ET in the USA]

Question: Do you believe this story, and if so, how could this Will be on file with the Probate Office and sent out to requesters ? Can we trust heirs, etc. in Wills that we order?


20 Oct 1980 - A "last will..." appears to be signed by the maker with witnesses.

1983 - A women dies on 15 Jan and the Probate Registry Index says that the will was probated 20 May to the husband, sole executor.

2006 - the will is ordered, received and then shown to another relative/and God-daughter who states "Oh, that will is a fake. The husband got another solicitor and tried to pull a fast one, but the new solicitor thought it was odd and told his friend, the family solicitor about it. The 'real' will leaves the interest only in trust for the husband and then the remainder goes to ...

Additional facts: The estate was just under 50,000 pounds in 1983.
The probate cover sheet and the text of the 'will' were received from the Probate Registry Office just like usual.

[Ladkyis]

This husband was daft enough to let a copy of the real will continue to exist after he had forged a new one? I don't think so. How old was the person who gave this information when the maker of the will died? was the information from an eye witness or from someone who was told about it after.

Where are the records of the trial for fraud? what about newspaper headlines from local papers.

It is a good story, and I would certainly be looking for the real story behind it. Like who hated the husband enough to start the story, How long did the solicitor get for aiding and abetting?

PLease don't tell us names or I'll never get back to my own law abiding lot - although it is a jolly good plot for a couple of characters in a murder mystery game - I have made a note for the next one I write
Ann

[ET in the USA]

The information about the wills was told to me last month by the Goddaughter who is about 60+ Her father, currently 100, is the real heir, but it will no doubt be split between the teller and her brother by the time husband No. 3 dies and the money reverts. If the story is true, I don't see why the wrong will is at the probate court. Perhaps husband didn't destroy the previous will because it was being held in the solicitors safe.

It even gets slightly better.

Woman was born in 1894 and married husband No. 1 in 1928. Per Marriage license, he was 51 and she was 33.
No. 1 died in 1937. This made the widow 43.
She married No. 2 in 1947, he was 62 and she was 47 (well, she was really 53, but who's counting)
No 2 died in 1949 -he was still 62. Widow was currently 55.
She married No. 3 in 1950. Marriage license said he was 25 (true, he was born 1925) and that she was 44. (She was really 56, but a lady needs some secrets !) He was a trumpeter in HM Royal Lifeguards. They met waiting for a bus. He must have looked pretty good, because when the bus didn't show up, she called her chauffeur to come in the Rolls and take them both to where they were going. When the Roller arrived, I imagine she was starting to look pretty good to him too.

Women dies in 1983. Death cert shows her birth date as 14 Feb 1913. She was actually born 24 Feb 1894 per her birth cert. Husband No. 3 is about 58 at 1983 death of wife. 2006, he is currently 81 and still working through all that money.