Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Maryland

If someone dies and leaves something to a named beneficiary, the beneficiaries get whatever they are left by Will, regardless of who the executor is or how long the executor survives the decedent.

That being said, because a probate estate only passes what someone dies owning in their own name, when a husband and wife own everything together the first to die may not have anything in their probate estate. Where the surviving spouse gets everything, then the surviving spouse can give it to whomever they want under the terms of the surviving spouse's will.

If the estate is administered in PA, you'll want to ask a PA attorney to look over the estate filings to determine what, if anything, your grandmother's estate left to you, and if necessary appoint a successor executor.

While not legal advice, I hope that this post helps.