I had / have a joint account with some £70K in it which my mother and I took out in 2011. Its a savings bond. I had the money transferred into my name only when mum passed away ( using death certificate). I was under the impression that all of the money in that bond was legally mine because I was joint account holder. My brother now insists that he is entitled to £17.5K ( plus any interest - which I have never had as that went into mums account). He wants £17.5 K money from me for half of the half of the money in the bond that was mums. Is he entitled?
Back story a little - mum gave me the money after dad died and my aunt died and she got some spare cash. It was part services rendered as I worked for ten years for nothing in her shop when I was younger in the 1980's ( my brother never did that) and she didnt pay me. I also owned half a business with her for four years at a later date ( ,lock up) and some of the money was settlement from that - probably nowhere near what I should have had but thats neither here nor there.
I thought the money in that account was mine. She always had the interest paid into her own bank account when she was alive That is coming to me now. He wants a share of that interest too but he has already had half the money in mums bank accounts.
It is just this money I am interested in though.
PS - is it possible to get an online solicitor rather than seeing one? I cannot leave home as hubby had a stroke and cannot be left and I am stuck in the house now. I would rather he didnt know about this as it will upset him and stress him. Its my inheritance anyway. I have half a house as a result of mums death ( with brother - he is living there as he was before mum passed away).
I think mum always thought he would have the house ( worth more than the money in all her banks and I would have the money ( plus £70 - which would still be short of the house value but would be immediate for me rather than wrangling over the house but my brother wanted money as well as half the house but wont sell. I dont like unpleasantness and clearly he will rip me off one way or another now even though I thought he was a straight and honest bloke . But I want my money from that house protected for me and mine , not for me to die and him to roll off into the sunset with it. I need a solicitor I know but I cannot get out to see one . I need to know the options.
Mum died intestate mainly because she thought it would ensure we shared her money/house . If she wrote a will my brother was going to ensure she split it three ways to give his son a share . When you are 94 I dont think you want arguments and disagreements with someone you live with. She didnt want to split three ways and she was worried his ex wife ( now) would also come and take some of the money once she passed. ( As it happened his ex divorced him before mum passed by a fraction). So, clearly , mum had been under pressure too even though I had not realised it. Any will would have been contested had it split between me and brother - he would have done that, its clear now.
So, this is protect what I have left.
