Designating A Beneficiary For Thai Bank Accounts

[AngelsLariat]

In Thailand is it possible to specify a “beneficiary” for a bank account who will get the money in the account in the event of the death of the owner of the account? In some countries, particularly in the US, that can be done and it has the advantage of keeping the money out of probate. I tried asking this question at a branch of Bangkok Bank and the question caused much confusion amongst the staff.

In my case, what I want to do is designate my Thai wife as the beneficiary in the event of my death, but the answer that I seemed to get from Bangkok Bank was that I could list my wife as a co-owner of the account and that otherwise I would need a lawyer to draft of a will if I want the money to go to her. But I don’t want to make her a co-owner, I only want her to be able to access the money after I am gone. Does that sound correct that the only way to accomplish that would be to file a will? And what if I died without a will, who would get the money in my Thai bank accounts then?

Edited September 13, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[Jingthing]

I suggest just naming her in a Thai will. That should do it. I have a Thai will and part of the specific documentation is about my larger Thai bank account.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Jingthing

[AngelsLariat]

I suggest just naming her in a Thai will. That should do it. I have a Thai will and part of the specific documentation is about my larger Thai bank account.

One incentive to using the beneficiary approach is that if the money doesn't have to go through probate it makes for less work for the executor of the will.

[Naam]

I suggest just naming her in a Thai will. That should do it. I have a Thai will and part of the specific documentation is about my larger Thai bank account.

One incentive to using the beneficiary approach is that if the money doesn't have to go through probate it makes for less work for the executor of the will.

naming a beneficiary would facilitate access.

will = probate = big hurdles, e.g. for wife who needs cash.

unfortunately not possible with Thai banks

[AngelsLariat]

I suggest just naming her in a Thai will. That should do it. I have a Thai will and part of the specific documentation is about my larger Thai bank account.

One incentive to using the beneficiary approach is that if the money doesn't have to go through probate it makes for less work for the executor of the will.

naming a beneficiary would facilitate access.

will = probate = big hurdles, e.g. for wife who needs cash.

unfortunately not possible with Thai banks

Thanks Naam, that answers the question very succinctly. Do you happen to know if the same is true with Singapore banks?

[Naam]

I suggest just naming her in a Thai will. That should do it. I have a Thai will and part of the specific documentation is about my larger Thai bank account.

One incentive to using the beneficiary approach is that if the money doesn't have to go through probate it makes for less work for the executor of the will.

naming a beneficiary would facilitate access.

will = probate = big hurdles, e.g. for wife who needs cash.

unfortunately not possible with Thai banks

Thanks Naam, that answers the question very succinctly. Do you happen to know if the same is true with Singapore banks?

same unfortunate situation but easier to circumvent, or rather prevent, the "access problem". your wife can be a co-owner without knowing that she is. but in case of your sudden demise it would be also quite difficult for her to access the funds without knowledgable assistance (language and account handling problems). you would have to document the details and instruct a person you trust to assist and that's not easy to accomplish.

[Suradit69]

I suggest just naming her in a Thai will. That should do it. I have a Thai will and part of the specific documentation is about my larger Thai bank account.

I did the same, although I don't have a larger Thai bank account, just the one.

[JimGant]

Yes, unlike in the US, where you can have a 'pay on death' beneficiary (so-called Totten Trust) to avoid probate, no such option is available in Thailand (possibly because their legal code doesn't include the concept of trusts).

otherwise I would need a lawyer to draft of a will if I want the money to go to her.

Forget the lawyer (plenty of threads here on Thai wills, so I'll let you visit those). Take five minutes today to write in longhand 'I leave bank account xxxxxxx to my wife, and also everything else I own' or whatever....then sign in front of two witnesses, who also sign (not your wife). Two witnesses are not required with a Will written by you in longhand -- but a good idea anyway. Let the wife know where you store it -- but it may never be needed -- keep reading.

Open up an internet account (ibanking) with Bangkok Bank, inclusive of your account(s). Have the wife, if she hasn't already done so, open up her own savings account (needn't also be an internet account) as a contingency destination upon your death (in this case, only a minimum required). Add her account as a 3rd party account on your internet account, and send a small amount to check function -- and to clear out the One Time Password SMS that accompanies the first transfer to a 3rd party. Educate the wife on -- upon your death -- how to do an internet transfer from your internet ibanking account. Max daily amount allowed by ibanking transfers is 500,000bt -- so it may take a few days to empty your account (but, if you have such a large amount, certainly easier than having your wife do multiple 25000 ATM pulls with your Be 1st ATM card).

What can go wrong? Well, fast news of your death could have the bank manager freeze your account. Or, if you're not comfortable with the wife knowing your ibanking password (quite understandable, reading some of the horror stories on this forum), you've got a dilemma (perhaps have a trusted friend have it, who your wife could call upon your death).

Or, in light of the above, the Will will need to come into play -- in which case, you might want to entertain a lawyer up front to draft a more formal Will, as he'll probably be needed to have it probated upon your death (as the bank manager probably won't accept a naked Will, without any fancy stamps -- but read-up on Amphur Wills as a possible alternative).

Anyway, if you trust your wife, and can have her transfer out on-line your account proceeds, this would functionally be the way to go -- and it most likely could be done prior to any possible freeze. And this is where your cheapo handwritten Will comes in -- as it would certainly validate what's now a fait accompli, namely, the emptying out of your account -- into the account of the named person in your Will. Can't see any problems here (unless you have someone who may contest the Will -- in which case, you'll need a lawyer, and something a lot more solid than a cheapo handwritten Will).

And what if I died without a will, who would get the money in my Thai bank accounts then?

Great question. If no US Will, dying intestate in Thailand begs whose law prevails. If Thai law, or US law, the wife would get part of the pie. But if Thai law, would they divvy it up with your Mom and Dad -- and any kiddies -- living in the US? Or not. Good question for a lawyer. In the meantime, sit down with a pen and paper and write your Will.

[AngelsLariat]

Yes, unlike in the US, where you can have a 'pay on death' beneficiary (so-called Totten Trust) to avoid probate, no such option is available in Thailand (possibly because their legal code doesn't include the concept of trusts).

otherwise I would need a lawyer to draft of a will if I want the money to go to her.

Forget the lawyer (plenty of threads here on Thai wills, so I'll let you visit those). Take five minutes today to write in longhand 'I leave bank account xxxxxxx to my wife, and also everything else I own' or whatever....then sign in front of two witnesses, who also sign (not your wife). Two witnesses are not required with a Will written by you in longhand -- but a good idea anyway. Let the wife know where you store it -- but it may never be needed -- keep reading.

Open up an internet account (ibanking) with Bangkok Bank, inclusive of your account(s). Have the wife, if she hasn't already done so, open up her own savings account (needn't also be an internet account) as a contingency destination upon your death (in this case, only a minimum required). Add her account as a 3rd party account on your internet account, and send a small amount to check function -- and to clear out the One Time Password SMS that accompanies the first transfer to a 3rd party. Educate the wife on -- upon your death -- how to do an internet transfer from your internet ibanking account. Max daily amount allowed by ibanking transfers is 500,000bt -- so it may take a few days to empty your account (but, if you have such a large amount, certainly easier than having your wife do multiple 25000 ATM pulls with your Be 1st ATM card).

What can go wrong? Well, fast news of your death could have the bank manager freeze your account. Or, if you're not comfortable with the wife knowing your ibanking password (quite understandable, reading some of the horror stories on this forum), you've got a dilemma (perhaps have a trusted friend have it, who your wife could call upon your death).

Or, in light of the above, the Will will need to come into play -- in which case, you might want to entertain a lawyer up front to draft a more formal Will, as he'll probably be needed to have it probated upon your death (as the bank manager probably won't accept a naked Will, without any fancy stamps -- but read-up on Amphur Wills as a possible alternative).

Anyway, if you trust your wife, and can have her transfer out on-line your account proceeds, this would functionally be the way to go -- and it most likely could be done prior to any possible freeze. And this is where your cheapo handwritten Will comes in -- as it would certainly validate what's now a fait accompli, namely, the emptying out of your account -- into the account of the named person in your Will. Can't see any problems here (unless you have someone who may contest the Will -- in which case, you'll need a lawyer, and something a lot more solid than a cheapo handwritten Will).

And what if I died without a will, who would get the money in my Thai bank accounts then?

Great question. If no US Will, dying intestate in Thailand begs whose law prevails. If Thai law, or US law, the wife would get part of the pie. But if Thai law, would they divvy it up with your Mom and Dad -- and any kiddies -- living in the US? Or not. Good question for a lawyer. In the meantime, sit down with a pen and paper and write your Will.

Thanks for all that advice. I do have a US will and plan to issue a Thai will. But aside from just making sure that my money goes to where I want to go when I die, I am tying to simplify things so that the executor of my will and my heirs do not have too daunting of a task to deal with when it comes time to settle my estate. While at one time it seemed as though I had good reasons to have multiple accounts in multiple countries, I've come to realize that this makes my finances appear much more complicated than they really are and could cause the executor of my will to need to deal with probate courts in multiple countries. My initial thought was that designating a "beneficiary" on my all my cash and brokerage accounts might avoid a multiple probate court scenario.

Edited September 14, 2013 by AngelsLariat

[Arkady]

I don't see how a Thai bank could legally transfer assets to someone named as beneficiary without going through probate, particularly when you consider Thai inheritance laws are taken from French law that doesn't permit testators to cut their immediate family out of a will. The bank could be sued in the event that a court ruled that the assets should not all have gone to the beneficiary.

If you don't wish to make your wife a joint account holder for the total amount, set up a smaller account in her name alone or a joint account with sufficient funds to tide her over until probate can be completed and keep the book. If she reports the book lost and gets a new one in order withdraw the funds without your knowledge, then you will have learned something interesting. I agreed with my wife that instead of purchasing an expensive Thai life insurance policy, I would pay an amount equivalent to the annual life insurance premium we were quoted into a stock investment account in her sole name managed by me. There was some risk to her in the initial years but now it is already enough for her survive on for a couple of years, even in a market downturn. The understanding is that, if there is a withdrawal not agreed by me, my contributions will cease. She is very happy with this arrangement.

[AngelsLariat]

I don't see how a Thai bank could legally transfer assets to someone named as beneficiary without going through probate, particularly when you consider Thai inheritance laws are taken from French law that doesn't permit testators to cut their immediate family out of a will. The bank could be sued in the event that a court ruled that the assets should not all have gone to the beneficiary.

If you don't wish to make your wife a joint account holder for the total amount, set up a smaller account in her name alone or a joint account with sufficient funds to tide her over until probate can be completed and keep the book. If she reports the book lost and gets a new one in order withdraw the funds without your knowledge, then you will have learned something interesting. I agreed with my wife that instead of purchasing an expensive Thai life insurance policy, I would pay an amount equivalent to the annual life insurance premium we were quoted into a stock investment account in her sole name managed by me. There was some risk to her in the initial years but now it is already enough for her survive on for a couple of years, even in a market downturn. The understanding is that, if there is a withdrawal not agreed by me, my contributions will cease. She is very happy with this arrangement.

Re: I don't see how a Thai bank could legally transfer assets to someone named as beneficiary without going through probate, particularly when you consider Thai inheritance laws are taken from French law that doesn't permit testators to cut their immediate family out of a will. The bank could be sued in the event that a court ruled that the assets should not all have gone to the beneficiary."

If that's so, that sounds like a problem. I have specific intention of cutting immediate family out of my will. Are you saying that under Thai law that members of my family will need to get a piece of any assets that I have in Thailand?

[Billmont]

This is very complicated for all the reasons mentioned, probate, wills, trust etc. A friend of mine died in Thailand while we were in the UK. He had quite a bit of money and a good pension, a car and a motor bike, no property. He withdrew cash each month and gave to his wife. also had a will written in longhand. As it turned out he died at the end of the month prior to his usual withdrawal. His wife was left pennyless and had to borrow even for the funeral. She was not allowed to use the car or motorbike. It took over 6 months to be sorted and she got the car, motorbike and a good widows pension.It was a very difficult time for her trying to accept her sudden loss of her much loved husband and then the financial worries for her and her children. I do not want this to happen to my wife after my death and although we have a joint account I have a Sterling a/c also with Bangkok Bank so I decided to have the Sterling account put into our joint names. The bank suggested that I just add her name as a signatory but I explained I wanted her to have the money in the event of my death. I was shocked to be told that this would not work as all accounts with my name would be frozen until probate was finalised. I fully trust my wife but I want my money to be under my sole control while I am in this world but I do not want my wife to experience what my friends wife did. In the UK a joint account automatically goes to the survivor so we now have a UK joint account and she has a card and internet banking on this account and she does not touch this account, this is for her to use after my death until she receives my pension and other funds that I am leaving to her.

[JimGant]

....particularly when you consider Thai inheritance laws are taken from French law that doesn't permit testators to cut their immediate family out of a will.

I have specific intention of cutting immediate family out of my will. Are you saying that under Thai law that members of my family will need to get a piece of any assets that I have in Thailand?

I think arkady's mistaken on this. Unlike under French law, if you have a Will, your assets will distribute per the Will to the designated legatees. Only if you die intestate will your assets distribute to the statutory heirs.

Section 1603. An estate devolves on the heirs by statutory right or by will.

Heirs who are so entitled by law are called ‘statutory heirs'.

Heirs who are entitles by will are called ‘legatees'.

As in making a US Will, if you want to make sure someone is definitely disinherited (and can't complain he was inadvertently left out), state this clearly in the Will (my wife did this re her brother -- upon the guidance of a Thai lawyer). I didn't argue -- I guess it can't hurt -- but I didn't see where the brother could argue against "I leave everything, including x,y, z, to my husband James Gant...."

From the Thai Civil and Commercial Code:

DISINHERINTANCE

Section 1608. A de cujus may disinherit any of his statutory heirs only by an express declaration of intention,

(1) by will

(2) by writing deposited with the competent official.

The identity of the disinherited heir must be clearly stated.

However, when a person has distributed all his estate by will, all his statutory heirs who are not beneficiaries under the will are deemed to be disinherited.

Section 1609. A declaration of disinheritance may be revoked.

If the disinheritance has been made by will, the revocation may be made only by will; but if the disinheritance has been made in writing deposited with the competent official, such revocation may be made either from prescribed in Section 1608 (1) or (2).

The above is kind of at odds with itself when it says:

"The identity of the disinherited heir must be clearly stated." Well, then, I guess the wife was right in naming her brother as a non beneficiary....

....."However, when a person has distributed all his estate by will, all his statutory heirs who are not beneficiaries under the will are deemed to be disinherited." But on the other hand, by not being named a beneficiary, bad brother wouldn't have a case, per the above. (All in all, tho', I guess naming bad bro' in the Will is more ironclad.)

[JimGant]

I was shocked to be told that this would not work as all accounts with my name [including joint accounts] would be frozen until probate was finalised

I've seen other threads where bank managers have agreed with this -- but where other bank managers have said the joint survivor has full access. So, maybe joint accounts should also be emptied through on-line banking, as well as the individual account(s) of the deceased....just in case bank managers are as confused about Thai law as we are.

Have also seen a situation where a copy of an Amphur Will was given to the bank manager, to spring into action upon the testator's demise, and the showing of the death certificate (and have seen where the bank manager said "no" to this -- or maybe it was the same manager later renigging on this scheme....I can't remember).

Anyway, the discussion of Thai Wills on this forum is, to say the least, inconclusive. We have way more questions than definitive answers. I guess we need more dead testators to see what actually happens at the end of the road.........

[Naam]

I was shocked to be told that this would not work as all accounts with my name [including joint accounts] would be frozen until probate was finalised

I've seen other threads where bank managers have agreed with this -- but where other bank managers have said the joint survivor has full access. So, maybe joint accounts should also be emptied through on-line banking, as well as the individual account(s) of the deceased....just in case bank managers are as confused about Thai law as we are.

Have also seen a situation where a copy of an Amphur Will was given to the bank manager, to spring into action upon the testator's demise, and the showing of the death certificate (and have seen where the bank manager said "no" to this -- or maybe it was the same manager later renigging on this scheme....I can't remember).

Anyway, the discussion of Thai Wills on this forum is, to say the least, inconclusive. We have way more questions than definitive answers. I guess we need more dead testators to see what actually happens at the end of the road.........

there's no such thing like a frozen account or probate if the account is Mr.John Doe and/or Mrs. Sureeporn Kittybangbang.

[PiAnt]

Hi did you get anywhere with naming a beneficiary?

I recall a friend many years ago who did have a named beneficiary in a Thai bank though I don't recall which one, which even had a life insurance promotion which paid out the same figure that was in the bank account upon death.

I'm going to check with my bank anyway rather than the formality of a will.

[muffy]

A wife or whoever could kill you for the money , I heard of it happening once .

[Pib]

Below is what the Bangkok Bank webpage says about accessing the funds in the account of a deceased relative like a spouse. Go to this Bangkok Bank webpage and click on the Closing of a Bank account and look at Q&A #4....also quoted below.

As a side note, one time at the Bangkok Bank branch in the govt building where Bangkok/Chaeng Wattana immigration is location, I thought I had a my wife designated as the beneficiary on the fixed savings account I had in my name only. Both the wife and I went in and explained what we wanted to do...that is the wife have quick and easy access to the account which was in my name and if I passed. Now when the dust settled they had us sign a couple of documents with one document to have a 30 baht govt stamp applied which they got upstairs in this govt building (folks who use Chaeng Wattana immigration now it one huge, multi-story building with all kinds of govt offices in it), they issued a new passbook still in my name only but the wife also signed the back page where you sign when getting a new passbook, and we were done. However, later on I found out that was probably just a Power of Attorney to be available under certain circumstances based on the title the document (all Thai language). Now that document was only good for as long as that fixed account was open, which matured about 6 months later, and then I rolled the funds over into a new account....the wife and I didn't go in and redo what I just mentioned because we figured it probably wouldn't help streamline the process too much and neither one of us really understood what went on....all the documents were in Thai and my dear Thai wife just couldn't understand them...and I can't read Thai...didn't want to run the question up any more flagpoles in trying to figure it out.

1. My relative passed away and had an account with Bangkok Bank. What is the process for closing the account and distributing the funds to the administrator of the estate?
   In order to close the account of a deceased customer following documents must be sent to the Manager of the branch where the account was held:
   • Court order appointing the administrator of the deceased’s estate
   • Power of Attorney (Required when requesting a solicitor to act on behalf of the Administrator
   • Copy of the Death Certificate
   • Copy of the passport of the decease
   • Certified true copy of passport of the Administrator
   • Original passbook formerly held by the deceased; and
   • A letter from the Administrator of the deceased’s estate requesting Bangkok Bank to close the account and transfer the balance. Please include the details for the payment i.e., name of the beneficiary, account number, name of the bank where the account is held, SWIFT number for the receiving bank, name and address of the branch where the account is held.
     • Should these documents be issued in a country outside of Thailand where the language use is not English, they will have to be translated to Thai and Notarized by the Royal Thai Embassy/ Consulate in the country of issue.

[NE1]

What if you had a joint account , would that be problematic for her in the event of your death ?

[Pib]

What if you had a joint account , would that be problematic for her in the event of your death ?

Nope...shouldn't be at all.

[meatboy]

dont a plain and simple will cover all your estate? stateing who you leave it to.

[lopburi3]

What if you had a joint account , would that be problematic for her in the event of your death ?

Nope...shouldn't be at all.

I would make sure only one signature required. 20 years ago we were told account could require one or both signatures for withdrawal depending on how established.

[Pib]

What if you had a joint account , would that be problematic for her in the event of your death ?

Nope...shouldn't be at all.

I would make sure only one signature required. 20 years ago we were told account could require one or both signatures for withdrawal depending on how established.

Yeap, correct...the wife's and ours are established as "or" signature...that is, just takes one of our signatures.

[Pib]

dont a plain and simple will cover all your estate? stateing who you leave it to.

It does assuming no one contests how a person's estate will be distributed...plus there is still the wait time between the death and the Will being validated by the court along with the issuance of the supporting documents. You just don't take a Will to the bank the day after a death and say, "Look, my spouse left all the money to me in his Will...please give me all the money in his account today." They still have to bring in court documents....the Will don't mean nothing to a bank.

[meatboy]

dont a plain and simple will cover all your estate? stateing who you leave it to.

It does assuming no one contests how a person's estate will be distributed...plus there is still the wait time between the death and the Will being validated by the court along with the issuance of the supporting documents. You just don't take a Will to the bank the day after a death and say, "Look, my spouse left all the money to me in his Will...please give me all the money in his account today." They still have to bring in court documents....the Will don't mean nothing to a bank.

thanks pib thats the answer i can bank on or should i say the wife.mind you i always asume i will go first.

oh well thats one problem the dog wont have,our lawyer must take care of that.he's our only heir.

[AngelsLariat]

Hi did you get anywhere with naming a beneficiary?

I recall a friend many years ago who did have a named beneficiary in a Thai bank though I don't recall which one, which even had a life insurance promotion which paid out the same figure that was in the bank account upon death.

I'm going to check with my bank anyway rather than the formality of a will.

No, didn't get anywhere, so I listed my bank account in a will instead.

[AngelsLariat]

A wife or whoever could kill you for the money , I heard of it happening once .

I'm OK with that.

[AngelsLariat]

What if you had a joint account , would that be problematic for her in the event of your death ?

Nope...shouldn't be at all.

I would make sure only one signature required. 20 years ago we were told account could require one or both signatures for withdrawal depending on how established.

Having joint accounts would indeed give her access to the money but that's not the goal. The goal is to allow her access to the money only after I die and without going through probate. Having joint accounts would only accomplish that goal if the account was set up such that either of us could make the withdrawals AND if she didn't know that the account exists (and even that might not work if the bank has a policy of freezing accounts of the recently deceased).

Edited September 25, 2014 by AngelsLariat

[PiAnt]

Hi did you get anywhere with naming a beneficiary?

I recall a friend many years ago who did have a named beneficiary in a Thai bank though I don't recall which one, which even had a life insurance promotion which paid out the same figure that was in the bank account upon death.

I'm going to check with my bank anyway rather than the formality of a will.

No, didn't get anywhere, so I listed my bank account in a will instead.

Hi, ok thanks for the reply. I'll let you know if I get anywhere with it.

Cheers.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Below is what the Bangkok Bank webpage says about accessing the funds in the account of a deceased relative like a spouse. Go to this Bangkok Bank webpage and click on the Closing of a Bank account and look at Q&A #4....also quoted below.

As a side note, one time at the Bangkok Bank branch in the govt building where Bangkok/Chaeng Wattana immigration is location, I thought I had a my wife designated as the beneficiary on the fixed savings account I had in my name only. Both the wife and I went in and explained what we wanted to do...that is the wife have quick and easy access to the account which was in my name and if I passed. Now when the dust settled they had us sign a couple of documents with one document to have a 30 baht govt stamp applied which they got upstairs in this govt building (folks who use Chaeng Wattana immigration now it one huge, multi-story building with all kinds of govt offices in it), they issued a new passbook still in my name only but the wife also signed the back page where you sign when getting a new passbook, and we were done. However, later on I found out that was probably just a Power of Attorney to be available under certain circumstances based on the title the document (all Thai language). Now that document was only good for as long as that fixed account was open, which matured about 6 months later, and then I rolled the funds over into a new account....the wife and I didn't go in and redo what I just mentioned because we figured it probably wouldn't help streamline the process too much and neither one of us really understood what went on....all the documents were in Thai and my dear Thai wife just couldn't understand them...and I can't read Thai...didn't want to run the question up any more flagpoles in trying to figure it out.

1. My relative passed away and had an account with Bangkok Bank. What is the process for closing the account and distributing the funds to the administrator of the estate?

   In order to close the account of a deceased customer following documents must be sent to the Manager of the branch where the account was held:

   • Court order appointing the administrator of the deceased’s estate
   • Power of Attorney (Required when requesting a solicitor to act on behalf of the Administrator
   • Copy of the Death Certificate
   • Copy of the passport of the decease
   • Certified true copy of passport of the Administrator
   • Original passbook formerly held by the deceased; and
   • A letter from the Administrator of the deceased’s estate requesting Bangkok Bank to close the account and transfer the balance. Please include the details for the payment i.e., name of the beneficiary, account number, name of the bank where the account is held, SWIFT number for the receiving bank, name and address of the branch where the account is held.
     • Should these documents be issued in a country outside of Thailand where the language use is not English, they will have to be translated to Thai and Notarized by the Royal Thai Embassy/ Consulate in the country of issue.

Dunno if you noticed this, Pib. But in the BKK Bank instructions and list of documents you posted above, NOWHERE does it say anything about presenting an actual will to the bank.

It only seems to talk about showing a court order of the administrator for the estate having been appointed. And then that person (who isn't necessarily even the beneficiary) seems to have full control over the funds.

But unless I'm missing something, their process doesn't seem to involve the bank wanting to see anything actually documenting that the money is going where specified in one's actual will.

In the event the administrator, perhaps even an attorney, isn't the 100% beneficiary, what's to ensure the real beneficiaries actually get the funds as intended?