Q: My Aunt's boyfriend of 20 years passed suddenly.
My Aunt's boyfriend of 20 years passed suddenly. They had finally decided to get married after all this time. My Aunt has cared for ailing family members for a long time and that being the reason they hadn't done it yet. Her boyfriend was extremely organized and responsible and had a will done after his parents passed a few years ago. He assured her she would be taken care of. Now after his passing we cannot find a will anywhere and the sister who he disliked is only offering her one vehicle. What can she do?
A: If there is no will, then your aunt has no legal claim to his estate, unless she can claim reimbursement for any expenses she paid on his behalf or if there is any personal property that they owned jointly. A friend or caregiver has no legal status without a will directing that they receive something. If she has access to his files, and can find who his attorney was, she should check with that attorney for any will or estate planning that might have been done and retained by the attorney. She could also check with the local probate court if he filed his will there already. If he had a bank deposit box, that also should be checked. She can use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local probate attorney who can review the situation and advise her.
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