hh bonds

my father died in the state of new york and there are 4 government hh bonds worth $2000 showing my mother as beneficiary. she died before my father. my sister and I are executors on the will and left all property. my father remarried 3 years ago and is survived by his new wife. they have a prenup agreement that does not list the bonds.

who gets what?
what is an estate identification number?
how do I get a letter of appointment, under court seal, with a full force and effect statement?
do I have to hire a lawyer?

What is the value of your father's entire estate?

If your mother had a will, go to the probate court to get a copy of it. A probate attorney will have to advise you whether the bond money goes to her estate executor for distribution according to the terms of the will, or whether the bond money reverts back to the father's estate.

As soon as you file the will at the county courthouse, you will soon be receiving official letters of appointment (giving you official authority to claim all assets that have not yet been claimed) from the court judge at some point during the probate process. I'm not exactly sure, but you also might be receiving the estate identification number at that same time, unless this is something that must be requested from the IRS for tax purposes and then I assume you would contact the IRS directly.

You can only make the decision about hiring a lawyer after the probate attorney has reviewed the estate financial information to see if it is required or worth it and whether you could afford it, but it certainly would help to have a probate attorney available for advice/counsel to guide you through the probate process, since questions will inevitably arise.

DANDY DON