What happens when there's a Will but no Executor? What happens when all items in Will were donated before death?

Thank you, Everyone for giving me some peace of mind and great answers! WorriedinCali,
Wasn't able to get POA prior to her diagnosis of dementia. Mom was so afraid of YB, he had brainwashed her for years about making decisions w/o him. (When her money was to be spent for her (i.e. new glasses), he cancelled the order cause "it's too expensive"). Fortunately, Mom was with me when I called to cash in insurance policies. Also, I'm hoping I won't need guardianship to continue handling things for her.

If your mom has nothing, even with a will there's nothing to do. When my stepFIL died on Medicaid in a NH he was a ward of the county and had nothing. He had a will, but prior to his death we had to liquidate all his possessions to pay for his living expenses. There was literally nothing left, and his 2 sons were estranged from him so they didn't even ask about a will. We didn't do anything with the will as there were no assets. He died in debt, but those creditors never got paid because there was no money. Your mom is still alive but if she has nothing, there's nothing to distribute. I hope this helps.

Something is unclear, and could benefit from clarification:

"She managed to only sign the Will. After that Lawyer felt mom's fear, state of mind & of YB retaliation prevented them from continuing."

In my experience, attorneys speak with clients enough before even drafting a will that determination can be made whether or not an individual is capable of executing a will. Assuming that the younger brother attended the will execution with your mother, and the attorney observed him at the time of signing, she/he would generally have created an excuse to postpone the signing, spoken with your mother privately, and recommended alternatives.

I can almost envision your frightened mother quivering while your brother was perhaps pushing her into signing the will and leaving her estate to him. That must have been very unsettling for your mother, and in that case, the attorney acted appropriately by discontinuing the execution.

It is possible also that the attorney saw a real hornet's nest in the making and didn't want to get involved. If the attorney was a single practitioner and lacked significant experience, this is a real possibility.

So the Will is signed but not witnessed or notarized? But there are no assets, so there's nothing to distribute anyway?

I'm not familiar with this specific kind of situation, but I think the Will would be considered null and void b/c of improper or lack of adequate statutory execution requirements (assuming the state in which your mother lived at the time or eventually at the time of her death had such requirements, and also assuming she's changed her residence to yours and is considered a resident of your state).

W/o a will, she will have died intestate, and any assets remaining (although it seems there are none) would be allocated under state laws.

But with no assets, I don't even see a reason for any action at all. However, if she signed or cosigned for loans, she would be liable on those. With no funds though, she's judgment proof and there's nothing to recover. That doesn'tmean though that creditors won't seek out what they can from anything your mother has left.

I think it would be wise to have the same attorney consulted NOW, and potentially involved when she dies to address the loan issue, and eventually just to handle any claims that might be filed against her, which arise from her having co-signed loans for your brother.

I feel badly for your mother, having been so dominated by your brother. I do hope she's safe with you and that brother is prevented from being alone with her.

The purpose of a will is to distribute assets to named beneficiaries. If there are no assets, there is no will.

Couldn’t be much of a will with no named executor. If your mom had no assets then she really doesn’t need a will. I’m trying to understand what you are worried about? Does she have assets that are valuable that you didn’t mention?
Many people don’t have the assets they listed in the Will by the time they die as they needed them to live.
Is there someone named in the will as an heir that you think will be upset?