Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Virginia

Re: Mother's will vs. Brokerage

If any bank or brokerage account indicates that it is payable on death to another party then that designation controls over the will.

So it depends on what the documents actually say that were given to the broker.

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Good luck to you.

Re: Mother's will vs. Brokerage

I agree with Glenn that the account registratyion controls ownership. This does not mean that questions cannot be raised by the other children, such as competency of Mom when she registered account, possible undue influence exerted on Mom by child named, and possibly more. You need to see the account registration forms that Mom signed and make the determinations as of the date this was done. You should also compare the dates of the registration and the Will, as this might open a question of whether Mom only intended the registration to be an "accomodation" in the event she became subsequently incapacitated, or even intended a constructive trust. An estate specialist should be consulted once all facts are known.