Do you believe that someone’s stolen your rightful inheritance? Fortunately, there are legal avenues that you can explore to help you recover stolen inheritance in the UK.
If you’re unsure where to start, the experienced team of solicitors at Freeman Jones Solicitors are here to provide you with expert legal advice, including offering guidance on how to prove inheritance theft in the UK.
Can someone else take my inheritance?
First and foremost, the executor of a will (the person assigned with handling the deceased’s estate) is likely to be the individual that has access to your inheritance.
This means they manage the distribution of the deceased’s estate according to their wishes and often don’t get to decide who gets what.
As a result, an executor of the deceased’s will cannot legally withhold money from a beneficiary without good reason, and if they do, this must be under certain, carefully-considered circumstances with official documentation to justify their decision.
Is it a crime to steal inheritance?
Inheritance theft can take many forms. In some cases, this type of inheritance theft would be considered a civil matter, for example, when beneficiaries are deprived of their inheritance.
However, inheritance theft can also be a criminal matter if it involves fraud, such as the forgery of documents, the misappropriation of money to a non-beneficiary, or the theft of physical objects from the deceased’s estate.
For expert legal support determining whether you should make a civil or criminal complaint regarding inheritance theft, we recommend contacting an experienced inheritance solicitor, like Freeman Jones Solicitors.
What happens when a beneficiary steals from the estate in the UK?
Concerned that assets have gone missing from the deceased’s estate and want to find out how to recover stolen inheritance in the UK?
Often, if you want to recover stolen inheritance in the UK then you will need to consider taking legal action.
If a court believes that a beneficiary has stolen from the deceased’s estate, then the value of that asset will often be deducted from their share of the estate.
How do I prove inheritance theft in the UK?
As inheritance theft can take many different forms, the way in which you can prove it’s occurred does vary.
For example, if you believe a will has been tampered with, you may want to consider having estate documents analysed with forensic accounting as this process can reveal signs of fraud.
Alternatively, if you have concerns that a will executor is withholding money from beneficiaries, then you may want to contact witnesses that were present during the estate administration or have knowledge of the deceased’s wishes.
If you require help proving inheritance theft has been committed, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the experienced solicitors at Freeman Jones Solicitors.
Resolve inheritance issues with Freeman Jones Solicitors
Regardless of whether you want expert help with proving inheritance theft or recovering your inheritance, our experienced team of solicitors can help.
At Freeman Jones Solicitors, our aim is to reduce stress and upset during what is often already a trying and emotional time.
When it comes to inheritance disputes, we can provide tailored legal advice, helping you to resolve disagreements through mediation and negotiation before resorting to more expensive and time-consuming court action.
If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you to resolve your inheritance dispute, simply get in touch with our expert team of solicitors today.
To schedule your free, 20-minute, no-obligation consultation, you can either call us on 01244 506 444, send your enquiry via email to info@fjsolicitors.co.uk, or reach out using our online contact form.
