Need help with late husband

[sherry111]

Here’s my story.

My husband passed away recently. In his Will he left me the house ($700,000) and $250,000 dollars. While we were together he managed to put $780,000 into RRSP’s in my name and named me as the beneficiary of a $130,000 life insurance policy. This is all the Will states I am to receive.

In a safe in my house I found a work sheet he had been working on. On it he has my name beside an additional $750,000 worth of GIC’s.

He also has his business, he valued at $11,000,000 dollars. He left the business to his 4 sons.

The 4 sons had the business appraised at $7,000,000. They are saying their farther was way off when calculation the value of his business. Inside the business and additional to the value of the business there is $2,000,000 in investments.

They tell me that with the business valued at $11,000,000, it looked like my husband was trying to leave me 20% of his estate. They are also telling me that with the business only worth $7,000,000, that 20% of his actual worth would not include the $750,000 in GIC’s.

The tax implications for my husband’s death are $1,300,000 in personal tax, and if the business was sold the day he died, there would be an additional $1,300,000 in corporate tax to be paid.

I was never married to my husband, but figure after 19 years of being together, it’s the same. I did sign a Prenup before I moved in with him 18 years ago.

Here’s my question.
Does the Worksheet have any merit? With this, do I have a chance to contest the Will and receive the additional GIC’s? Should I contest the Will or not? I haven't aproached a lawyer yet.

Thanks for your help.

[dinkyface]

What does the will say about the GIC's? Is there a beneficiary listed for the GICs? Are these outside of an RRSP?

The worksheet would not have any relevance, and 'looks like 20%' is just a notion/guess. The worksheet is just scribbles, and three is no way to show for what intent he created it. In any case, the will probably says something like '...this will supercedes all previous wills'.

What does your prenup say?