1-22-2002
DEAR SERENDIPITY:
She needs to know his name and the month/year he died. Then go to the county courthouse for that city (to the probate court or surrogate court) to look at the probate file to see if a will has been filed--even if one has not been filed, then someone in the family or an attorney probably took on the responsibility of being executor/administrator of the estate and there will be financial information in the file on what the estate assets are and how they are to be divided.
If she can't visit the courthouse in person she can call or write to them to order copies of the file.
Your daughter, as a natural child, would have been eligible to receive a portion of the estate (if there was anything left over after debts were paid), and so if she was not notified, you need to contact the executor to find out what happened and also find out if an executors bond is required to be paid at the courthouse--if so, any monies that may have been stolen or misappropriated by the executor might be recoverable by filing a claim with the bond insurance company.
