deceased fathers pension

[ronvirden]

What is the name of your state? Washington
My father passed away in 1999 and my step mother passed away last week. My sister and I are wondering about his pension, do we have a right to this? My birth mother thinks she has the rights to this now? I think its a mess but I just want to be sure everything goes where it should. My Father worked hard all of hi life for his family and I dont think he would have wanted this to go to waste.
Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[fairisfair]

no one here can guess if you have rights to your father's pension. No one knows the type of pension, terms or anything else about it.

Consult a local attorney who specializes in probate.

 

[Dandy Don]

IF you know the name of the company that is holding the pension, contact them to see if he named a beneficiary or not. IF he didn't, the money will go to his estate. If you know where he worked, contact his employer and maybe they can tell you the name of the company that is holding his pension. Depending on the rules, the company might have to award it to a surviving spouse if any.

Did your father and your stepmother leave a last will and testament or not?

 

[nextwife]

You'll need to know about the plan. Many pensions are NOT like 401ks, they cease paying after death/death of spouse.