Q: my dad had no will , no wife am i entitled to his 2,3 million dollar estate?
my parents were divorced but friends they own two houses on the same lot she lived in the front house he in the back she was power of attorney before he died and now she is telling myself, brother and sister she is beneficiary to all his bank accounts and stocks, and cashed all the stocks in and says we get nothing is this true?
A: You need a lawyer. If your father designated his ex-wife as the beneficiary of the financial accounts after they were divorced, then she may be entitled to the funds so long as she did not unduly influence him. If he made the beneficiary designation before they were divorced, then the divorce terminates the beneficiary designation. The power of attorney terminates at his passing. You should give the death certificate to all banks and financial institutions so that they will freeze the accounts.
Bill Sweeney agrees with this answer
A: Your dad could have put her as a beneficiary on accounts. It depends on when he would have done that to determine if that would be a valid designation. However, for the real property you probably have more rights if there were no will or trust and only he was on title.
Bill Sweeney agrees with this answer
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.
