Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Illinois
my father passed/i thought i was beneficiary of both his insurance policies/so i paid for the funeral -burial and headstone/come to find out the insurance paid me what was left from the policy that had my name on it as beneficiary and paid the wife the additional insurance policy/can i go after her to pay me back for the money i spent to lay my father to rest/i thought it was a spouse responsibility to bury their spouse/the insurance co claims that there was no beneficiary assigned to the additional policy and they wouldn't give me a copy of that form but they listed both policies under the same policy number with my name on it/that's why i didn't think she was getting any money/but now that she has/can i sue her/this took place in chicago illinois
1 Answer from Attorneys
His estate should pay for the things you paid for, not the widow personally unless the estate is unable to do so. You may have to open a probate estate if she is unwilling to voluntarily reimburse you, but before doing so you should consult with a probate attorney who can help figure out all of the facts and issues that need to be addressed, and perhaps there will be a way to avoid probate.