Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Connecticut

I have lived with my partner for the last 10 years in his owned house. We never married for various financial reasons; he was a widow and I was divorced. I paid rent and utilities for 10 years as well as contibuting to the improvements of the marital home. He passed away almost a month ago. I am still in the home while the children settle the estate. He made an addendum to this will( a trust), which named me receiving a specified amount upon his death (which was roughly equivalent to the rent I have paid him in the last 10 years), it was notarized and sent by mail to his attorney a few weeks before he died, as his attorney was away at the time. When my partner returned from the hospital, he was unable to go to his attorney's office to finalize the addendum due to his declining health and died 2 weeks later. He left me a copy of the requested addendum.

2 Questions

1. Is there any legality to the addendum which as was not officially executed by his attorney in his office, but was a notarized letter,

2. If not, am I entitled by law, in the state of CT, to any of the proceeds of the sale of the house since I contributed to the maintence, decorating and improvements to the house during the past 10 years?

Thank you so much. Marge


Asked on 4/19/10, 1:59 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Linda Subbloie Linda A. Subbloie, Esq.

Unfortunately, unless the document was executed with the same formalities as a will, then it will not be considered a codicil to the will. You should take the document to an attorney to see if it is.

You could try to make a claim against the estate as a creditor, but you would have to speak to an attorney to see if you possibly will be successful.

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Answered on 4/26/10, 3:59 pm


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