I'm bringing this to the forum to see what input and perspectives you all may offer.
My mother in law had only one brother. He died two days ago. We'll call him my uncle to make reading this easier. He was wealthy. He has no children. My mother in law is well off as well not that this matters much except that for this story, it's the principal, not the money. A few years ago, this lawyer dude befriended uncle. I also believe on more than a few occassions he acted in capacity as his attorney.
Uncle was an eccentric man and I think easily manipulated. The lawyer somehow got him to put his name (the lawyers) on all his accounts (as in joint) and he also deeded over one property and donated another very large property to a school. This was the lawyers idea from what we've heard.
Now my mother in law and her brother were very close. She went to see him in the assisted living home 2-3 times a week and did errands for him, took care of paying bills, depositing checks ect. He came over to the house on the holidays. He came to our wedding.
We do not know the particulars of the will yet because we haven't buried the uncle yet. Although, I don't see how when discussing the will matters. Who has the will and knows everything? This lawyer/friend. What my mother in law does know is that her brother left her 3 small life insurance policies (maybe totalling 15k) and he told her that if she ever got sick to where she needed assistance or to be in a home, she'd be taken care of for the rest of her life.
But she is not happy - she'll be taken care of for the rest of her life IF she gets sick, and then the lawyer keeps the rest. She is the only soul survivor. And she, as we do, feels this lawyer breached his fiduciary responsibilities by consenting to be made joint on all of those accounts. We feel he befriended the uncle just for the purpose of getting his money.
Ok - we don't know the particulars of the will yet BUT we all have a very bad feeling about this. And I think she is gearing up for a civil suit, or at least to initiate an inquiry with the Bar association (that would be the cheaper first move to make).
Has anyone ever heard of this happening? What would you think/or if anything, do?
My mother in law had only one brother. He died two days ago. We'll call him my uncle to make reading this easier. He was wealthy. He has no children. My mother in law is well off as well not that this matters much except that for this story, it's the principal, not the money. A few years ago, this lawyer dude befriended uncle. I also believe on more than a few occassions he acted in capacity as his attorney.
Uncle was an eccentric man and I think easily manipulated. The lawyer somehow got him to put his name (the lawyers) on all his accounts (as in joint) and he also deeded over one property and donated another very large property to a school. This was the lawyers idea from what we've heard.
Now my mother in law and her brother were very close. She went to see him in the assisted living home 2-3 times a week and did errands for him, took care of paying bills, depositing checks ect. He came over to the house on the holidays. He came to our wedding.
We do not know the particulars of the will yet because we haven't buried the uncle yet. Although, I don't see how when discussing the will matters. Who has the will and knows everything? This lawyer/friend. What my mother in law does know is that her brother left her 3 small life insurance policies (maybe totalling 15k) and he told her that if she ever got sick to where she needed assistance or to be in a home, she'd be taken care of for the rest of her life.
But she is not happy - she'll be taken care of for the rest of her life IF she gets sick, and then the lawyer keeps the rest. She is the only soul survivor. And she, as we do, feels this lawyer breached his fiduciary responsibilities by consenting to be made joint on all of those accounts. We feel he befriended the uncle just for the purpose of getting his money.
Ok - we don't know the particulars of the will yet BUT we all have a very bad feeling about this. And I think she is gearing up for a civil suit, or at least to initiate an inquiry with the Bar association (that would be the cheaper first move to make).
Has anyone ever heard of this happening? What would you think/or if anything, do?
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