Q: My mother passed away unexpectedly. My stepfather says she never signed the will.
She has 4 adult children from her marriage to my father. Stepfather will not allow us to see the will, and says he gets everything. Is starting to sell her jewelry, worth about 40k, that my father bought her. The estate is worth about 500k. Are her children entitled to anything? He cut off contact with us right after she died for no reason. I smell a rat.
A: Under Tennessee law, if a person dies with out a will, their property ( both real and personal) is inheirited by the surviving spouse ( if any ) AND the children of the deceased. Check the your local courthouse ( the county where your mother lived at the time of her death) to see if any formal papers have been filed to administer her estate. Consult a local probate lawyer for advice on your specific situation.
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