Q: My father just died. My mother and father were never married , Am I entitled to part of his estate ?
He married and had three other children. can they withhold information from me?
A:
The answer depends on several things unknown: Did he leave a will? Were you mentioned in it? Has anyone filed a petition to begin probate proceedings? Were you adopted before you turned 18? Did he know of your existence? (Did he leave anything of value behind worth fighting for? Or is it important to you to be officially recognized as his descendant?)
You may be a "pretermitted heir", which means roughly someone that would have inherited under a will if the testator knew of them. An attorney would need to know a lot more about your particular circumstances before telling you what rights or claims you actually have. Many offer free initial consultations. Schedule an appointment to speak with one very soon. If you have a claim, don't risk losing property that might be yours but vanished due to passage of time. Good luck.
PS: The above comments are offered for information purposes only and not as legal advice about your particular situation or any particular law. This information also is not offered to, nor does it create, an attorney client relationship.
Wesley Winsor agrees with this answer
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