What is timeframe on a probated Will?
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What is timeframe on a probated Will?
I was in my mother’s Will. It specifically states that I am suppossed to aquire 2 bank accounts with large sums of money. In them. These accounts were inherited by her from her mother. She was married to my adopted father which was diagnosed with alztimers and had 2 biological children of his own from a marriage before theirs (my mom and dad). It states that everything goes to him unless he passes or the will(her individual will) gets probated, whichever comes first. The Will was probated 7 months ago. At this time the executor is my brother-in-law and he refuses me and my kids what’s ours.
Asked on August 25, 2012 under Estate Planning, Texas
Answers:
Catherine Blackburn / Blackburn Law Firm
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
I suggest that you contact the Executor's (your brother in law) attorney and ask him or her to explain their position regarding your inheritance. They may agree that you are entitled to this inheritance and the probate is simply taking time. They may claim that you are not entitled to the inheritance. Either way, you need to know this. If they claim you are not entitled to the inheritance, you should consult your own estate lawyer to see if you can challenge this position.
Estates involving second marriages, especially if each spouse had children from a prior marriage, can be very complicated. If the spouses and their lawyers did not prepare the wills and trusts carefully, it can take a substantial amount of time, effort, and money to sort out who gets what. In addition, many states have laws that give certain assets to a surviving spouse no matter what the will says. Florida does this with its homestead and elective share provisions.
Frankly, seven months is not long to probate an estate, especially if estate taxes, an incapacitated spouse, multiple beneficiaries, debts, medical bills, or other circumstances make it complicated.
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