questions on ex estate

[sweetmom]

About 2 years ago my exhusband passed away and did leave a will and a trust fund for his 2 surviving kids. Now my question is he left his best friend in charge of handling the trust and everything. When he passed away (which was very sudden) in Michigan..His friend didn't make an inventory of any of his personal property in Michigan. What he delivered to our house here in Ohio was not everything that was in the apartment my ex had. The kids are now wondering where everything went...can we hold the best
friend responsible for these missing items? I know in Ohio you have to make an inventory of property of a deceased person as far as I have been told. What are our rites to this information. Also, he left a trust fund for both kids that the best friend will not give the kids any funds at all unless it's absolutely a necessity (sp?) My daughter who will be 19 needs a new car or a dependable car. Can she get money for that? We have not asked for any money from the best friend for anything. I have been paying for everything. Don't we have a rite to see where all the funds went to that the ex owed?
Never saw any paperwork. We live in ohio the kids and I and I have never had to deal with anything like this before. Only doing this now because the kids are now ready to deal with the situation at hand they were going thru a grieving process and I wasn't going to push the issue till they both are ready to handle the situation. We are going
to see the I guess you call him executor of the estate on Jan. 15th. so if you could give me some sort of direction I would appreciate it very much. Sorry so long.
Thank you

 

[ALawyer]

Ask for a copy of the Will and Trust (the Will is a public record and on file in the court house, and the trust may be part of the Will; you should have asked for a copy a long time ago). That will tell you when the kids get the assets as a matter of right, and what the instructions may be for discretionary distribution of pricipal, such as for college; a new car is NOT something I'd be keen on as a trustee.

Ask how the funds are invested, and where, and how investment perfomance has been. Ask if reports are filed with the court.

Ask for annual distributions of trust income. (Otherwise the Trust pays tax on them.)