Check whether her will is at her home, or held by her bank, her solicitor, a will safe service, the Principal Probate Registry or a relative or close friend. Checking through her papers may help you find any records.
Remember that any expression of her wishes, however informal it looks, may be her will or part of it. A will isn’t necessarily a formal, printed document drawn up by a professional.
If you find a will you should check, as far as you can, that it is the last will she made and that there are no supplemental ‘codicils’ making adjustments to the main will. If in any doubt at all, take legal advice.
You should also look out for side letters — often called ‘letters of wishes’ — that she may have left with her will. These can explain unusual or surprising bequests and help avoid challenges to her will.
If she didn’t make a will, legal rules called the intestacy rules apply. These specify how her estate will be divided up among her relatives.