12-19-2001
DEAR KATIE:
Why is the lawsuit being filed and how much money is involved and what state is this in?
You don't really have a legal obligation to notify anyone about the lawsuit. There is probably a local daily or weekly legal newspaper in your area that publishes a list of all lawsuits that come into court, so that companies or individuals and the media (anyone who reads that newspaper) can find out what court cases are being processed.
It may not be a good idea to notify any other heirs or beneficiaries about this lawsuit, as this may cause them to start expecting money that the estate has not yet received. If you want to, you can mention that the lawsuit is going on or being filed, but you can't actually be certain that you will be receiving any money for the estate until the lawsuit has actually been settled or decided by the jury.
SINCERELY,
[email protected]
