Mothers Will

What is the name of your state? Arizona
My mother passed away two weeks ago. The man that she was married to is not my Father, but is a step father. My Mother as far as I know was a healthy lady, and then all of the sudden she died. My step father immediatly had her creamated. My mom also had some very expensive airlooms, such as pictures, and jewlry, things that have been passed down from generation to generation, and were to be passed on to my generation. There was also a trust account set up in my sisters and my name. I know my mother has a Will, and I know she has life insurance that my sister and I were named benificiaries of. Her husband is not being very nice and is not giving us the information. Is there someway I can find out this information without going through him.Please I am lost on what to do.

I suggest that you retain an estate attorney and let him deal with your step father. Based on your post you can expect many of the items you listed to disappear unless an inventory is conducted immediately.

You and your sister should sit down and make a list of the items that you can remember so you can demand that they be produced. Do you know if your mother had an attorney draw up the will? If so he will have a copy. If not you can expect your step father to say that it does not exist unless she left everything to him.

The longer you wait the worse the situation is going to become.

Normally the will is filed at the county courthouse probate court within 30 days after the death, so check at the courthouse to see if it has been filed yet. If it has been, you can get a copy of it and also find out the name and address of the estate executor and you can contact the executor for more information without having to speak to the stepfather.

If there was a trust set up for you and your sister and an actual trust account, then the trustee will probably be contacting you about that within the next 30-60 days. Ask a local trust attorney whether you have the right as a potential trust beneficiary to send the trustee (if we assume it's the stepfather) a certified letter asking for a copy of the trust and the trust accounting information.

If you were named beneficiary of the life insurance, then the stepfather at least owes you the name and address of the insurance company and the policy numbers so that you can claim these for yourself--they will not be a part of the officially probated estate since that money is payable directly to you.

Would it be possible for you and your sister to go through your mother's personal papers that were left at her home?

DANDY DON IN OKLAHOMA ([email protected])