Q: My dad just recently died. I'm fourteen and my step mother is keeping all my dad's stuff. What do I do?
She said I could pick stuff I wanted out of his stuff
A:
Presuming your dad died without a will and both of his parents are also deceased, your stepmother would be entitled to the first $150,000, plus half of any balance (i.e., anything remaining above the initial $150,000) of his estate. Not knowing more about the valuations of his property at the time of his death, whether property he owned was owned jointly with your stepmother, and other factors, it is difficult to say what rights you or any of his other children may have.
Often where family members cannot agree on an "in-kind" distribution of property (i.e., Heir A takes a car, Heir B takes a boat, etc.), the personal representative will have to sell the property and distribute the proceeds (this also happens where creditor's claims exceed liquified assets on hand). Your stepmother, being the surviving spouse in this presumptive intestate estate, would have statutory priority to serve as the personal representative. Thus, rather than offering the ability to take certain property you want, she could sell it all and divvy up the proceeds which, based on your question, I presume you do not want either.
Moreover, being that you are a minor, you would need your parent or guardian to pursue the matter on your behalf.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
