Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Maryland

Whomever is named as the "personal representative" should timely open the estate and provide notice to interested persons. People legally required to receive notice in MD include beneficiaries named in the will and the people who would inherit if no will existed (i.e., spouse, children). You should first check to see if an estate has been opened.

For a number of reasons this is not always done promptly after someone dies. Sometimes there is little to nothing in the probate estate (maybe everything passed outside of probate); sometimes the personal representative isn't aware of their role. That being said, if the personal rep is not fulfilling their duty and no estate has been opened after several months, another family member can petition for appointment and then take care of distributing the estate.