sister-in-law took whole policy

[lilith49]

i live in louisville kentucky. my father-in-law passed away july 20th 2003. my mother-in-law passed away august 2nd 2003. at that time all 3 of their children were alive. my father-in-law had a life insurance policy for 3000.00 through his old employer. at the timei was trying to take care of everything for my husband, sistet-in-law and brother-in-law. i called the company and gave them all the information but they said they hd to have someone who was legally responsible. then in april of 2004 i woke up to find my husband who was 46 had passed away inhissleep due to a seizure. he and i were both on disability and lived on 1266.00 a month. he had no insurance and i and my 4 children had to beg and borrow to bury him. my children barely make enough to take care of their famileies. but the cemetary abd the funeral home helped us and took care of everything except the headstone for 1200.00, because since dec. 26 of 2002 to april 19th 2004 we buried my father,my father-in-law, my mother-in-law and my husband. i was with my husband for 30 years. i just found out that after my sister-in-law became legally able to take care of things she got the 3000.00 from the insurance. i know that 1 third of that was to go to me and my children, but she lied and never even told them about my husband. what can i do about it. i really wouldnt care except the man she married 3 years ago is on crack and has lied and gotten everything he could get from my in laws death. also when they knew we were trying to pay off my husbands headstone as fast a we could they never even offered to help. not one person from his family offered a penny or even a flower at the funeral. i dont talk to them anymore and at one time she was closer than my own sister. i really cant believe she would do this. but i have recently found out she was trying to get credit cards in my daughters name and she is mentally chalanged.
thank you for your help
evelyn butler

 

[Dandy Don]

Was the insurance policy probably the only thing of value that your father-in-law had? Did he leave a last will and testament? If you think he may have had other assets besides the insurance policy that may have been probated, then you need to check at the county courthouse probate court to see if anyone probated a will or not for his estate.

There is not much you can do about this now unless the insurance check was probated through the estate. You don't even know who was named to be the beneficiary of the policy--the money is paid under normal circumstances directly to the beneficiary. If there was no beneficiary named then it should have gone through probate and you probably would have been notified if the executor recorded your husband's name on the list of eligible heirs.

Too bad that you didn't seek legal advice when you first found out about the death. You could have filed to be administrator and then the insurance company would have issued the check to you as administrator which you then would have probated to distribute to all heirs.

Sorry that you have been cheated. Go on with life and be forgiving.

DANDY DON IN OKLAHOMA ([email protected])