Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Ohio
My grandfather passed away a few months ago. I was not contacted by my grandmother or father regarding the funeral or of his dying, my mother randomly came across his obituary while looking online. I was not very close with my father's side of the family, as my parents never married, however I was close with my grandfather. I spent a lot of time with him while growing up, and to our knowledge he was moderately wealthy. He had contacted my mother years ago inquiring of my social security number, for preparation of his will. So we were dumbfounded when no one even attempted to contact me, to attend the funeral and pay my respects. She (my mother) suggested to me that I may have been in his will, and this was the reason I was not contacted regarding his death. How could I find out if I was mentioned? I have no idea who the executor of the will would have been, and can't find out from any of his living relatives, as I mentioned I was only close with him and not the rest of his family (they typically pretended I didn't exist as I was a unwanted child of my father's. Thank you for your help.
2 Answers from Attorneys
If you know the county were your grandfather resided at the time of his death, you could contact the county probate court and inquire if there was an estate opened. Most county probate courts are online and you could also do a search that way. Even if you were listed in a will, if he had a trust or if his assets had beneficiary designation, such as life insurance or transfer on death accounts, those assets would pass outside probate and the provision under the will would not apply. If you would like further assistance please contact my office at http://www.socrateslegal.com .
In my experience it would be unusual to need a beneficiary's social security number to draft a will. It sounds like he may have been naming you as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement type of assets.
I would see what you can find out from the probate court and if you can find out the attorney who prepared his will you should contact him or her to see what information you can find. Good luck.
Related Questions & Answers
-
How do we get power of attorney for our mother who has alzheimers? Asked 3/05/10, 1:55 am in United States Ohio Probate, Trusts, Wills & Estates
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
