Q: My mother died and left my only sibling, a "deed of trust" which reduced me to 1/3 of estate. How can I contest this?
My sister has negatively interfered with my relationships with my mother and father for years. She lives in the same town as they do (did, in my mother's case), and I live 7,000 miles away. I traveled to Virginia to be with my mother last December during her last days on Earth in a hospice. My sister withheld all information and legal documents from me, and only just supplied me with a 3-page copy of a "Deed of Trust" four weeks ago, which reduced me to 1/3 of the estate (and 2/3s to my sister and her two children). My sister promised to fly my wife and me in for the memorial and internment (which is this weekend), but then reneged four days ago with an angry email to me. My mother repeatedly told me I was her favorite child (even as recent as 3 months before her death), yet would then be angry with me. I need a good litigator, as I want to fight this. My sister has tortiously interfered in my relationship with my mother, and has behaved secretly and with ill intent.
A: It certainly sounds like you need a lawyer. What I don't read in your story is a question. Let me infer that you are asking how to find a good estate litigator. I suggest you visit Avvo.com. Navigate to Find a Lawyer. Type in the county where your mother resided at time of death. Type in "probate" for type of law. Read the client reviews and endorsements. Ignore the ads.
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