Your father brought you and your younger brother up alone from the age of fourteen. It was fine because you got on well with your dad and his business did brilliantly too. You weren't super rich but there were no big financial worries. He always said it was only because you and your brother had been so good and such a great source of strength to him.
Contesting a Will was the furthest thought on your mind. Then your father became unwell and you both helped look after him. This meant you were even closer as you helped with all the day to day running of the house as well as having a normal social and school life. You didn't think of a claim on inheritance.
Dad recovered and remarried and you were happy for him. Any suggestion of an inheritance claim would have been absurd; It wasn't something you wanted to think about, and he wasn't even old yet! Your father's new wife was ok, and you and your brother had moved away from home by now and got on well. Then he became really ill again and this time it seemed so much worse and he wasn't really that old.
You had remained close to your father; you adored him and couldn't bear the thought of him suffering. It was painful to watch.
When your father went into hospital you put all thought of the possibility of his death out of your mind, he would surely fight through and survive. As for an inheritance claim, no way!
The shock when he dies doubles when you realise he hasn't left either yourself or your brother hardly any inheritance. Nearly everything has gone to his wife! You're not the money grabbing sort and you feel awful; you don't want to believe it but you don't want to accept it either.
Should you contest the Will? Could he really have meant what appeared to be set in stone, signed by him in writing? Who can you go to to ask for advice? Would people understand your hurt, or should you just try to ignore it and get on with life?
Contesting a Will is not the most pleasant experience when a loved one dies; it can cause all sorts of family arguments and emotions to erupt. Sadly those family arguments often cause permanent and irreconcilable splits within a family. However, if you strongly feel that something is not right then speak to an inheritance claim specialist solicitor and get expert legal advice.