Q: My father passed without making a will. How do we figure out who gets what. He has a retirement and stock and property
His wife is not being very open about his finances which leads me to think she is trying to keep everything
A: THe situation you are describing, dying without a Will, is known as Intestacy in Pennsylvania. Since your father did not have a Will, the surviving spouse is generally not entitled to all of the Estate assets. However, the three assets which you described, retirement accounts, stock accounts and property, can all either have beneficiary designations or be held in joint name with the surviving spouse, in which case those designations control the transfer of the assets and they are not included in the Estate. If you believe you and your siblings might be entitled to receive some of the assets you should consult with an experienced estate attorney to look into the matter for you.
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