Oklahoma City, OK asked in Estate Planning and Probate for California

Q: My father passed away a couple months ago, my step mother told me the next day. She has not returned phone calls or txt

I have had minimal contact with my step mother since my father passed away. She won’t text much or talk on the phone very long, now won’t answer at all. Got a copy of his death certificate and found out he died in California and recently bought a house before he passed. No one in the family knew and need to know what to do

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2 Lawyer Answers
Nina Whitehurst
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Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • Crossville, TN
  • Licensed in California

A: Schedule a consultation with a probate attorney located somewhere near where you father had lived, e.g. in the same county. (Click Find a Lawyer above.)

Prepare for the consultation by providing a copy of his will and gathering up as much information as you can about what your father owned. Pay particular attention to assets that your father owned before he married your step mother. Try to find out what their date of marriage was. Also be prepared to provide to the attorney the names, dates of birth and addresses of all of your father's children, whether still living or deceased.

James Edward Berge agrees with this answer

James Edward Berge
James Edward Berge
Answered
  • Estate Planning Lawyer
  • San Jose, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: If you’re wondering about your inheritance rights, consult a probate attorney. In general, if the property was held by your father and stepmother as joint tenants or simply as husband and wife, as community property with right of survivorship, your stepmother now owns the property without the need for a probate. Otherwise, a probate proceeding will be needed to determine your rights in that prope.

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