Stepmother Disinheritance?

My father, who lived in Tennessee, passed away about 5 years ago. My stepmother said their will left everything to her. Is she required to include her stepchildren in her will or can she leave everything to her biological children only?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

She can leave it all to the home for unwed cats if she wants to; it's her stuff.

Was the will officially filed in probate court for processing and distributing the estate? If you have not checked this yet, you need to visit the county courthouse probate court and do so.

Dandy Don said:

Was the will officially filed in probate court for processing and distributing the estate? If you have not checked this yet, you need to visit the county courthouse probate court and do so.

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The will from five years ago?

(Stepmom is still alive)

Poster seems to unsure as to what the father's will actually says and I wondered whether stepmother was telling the truth about what was in it (she may be telling the truth) and I was wondering whether she possibly withheld it from being probated. If she did withhold it and probate wasn't done, then the poster needs to find out if it was probated or not, because if it wasn't the poster might have inheritance rights she may want to assert under intestate law depending on the total value of the assets.

Yes, it's true that she doesn't need to leave them anything in HER will. I just want the poster to find out if he/she was in fact disinherited from the father's will or not or just not mentioned in it at all.

Thank you DandyDan! It never even crossed my mind to question my father's original will! Looks like I am off to the courthouse!