Legal Question in Family Law in Arizona

Re: Lost Annuity

This is really a "Probate" case not "Family Law" but I'll answer it anyway.

You should start by calling the Clerk of Court for the County where your Grandfather lived. Normally a will is probated in the same county where the person lived. Normally a will is probated within the same year as the death. Did your Grandfather live in Maricopa County? Just do a web search for the �clerk of court� for �_____ county� + Arizona. Some Counties list Probate matters on the websites, others don�t have them available. Depending on the county, check out Public Access to the Courts at http://www.supreme.state.az.us/publicaccess/notification/default.asp and try running your Grandfather�s name. Once you locate the probate case, if there was an attorney involved, call their office. If there was not an attorney, contact the executor of the will. Request a copy of your Grandfather�s will and any accounting showing the distribution.

You could hire an attorney to assist you. Usually you want a local attorney, who is familiar with the workings of that county court system. I only work in southern Arizona, primarily in Cochise County.

If you were a minor at the time the will was probated, it may be possible that your parents received the money on your behalf. If the distribution was already made, I�m not sure what recourse you may have against your Grandfather�s estate. If there wasn't enough money in your Grandfather's estate, the executor would have made the determination about who got how much.

Good Luck,