Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Nevada

My wife as a baby was adopted out to her grandmother. She lived with her mother briefly when she was a teen. Then went to live with her grandmother again because of court order. Her mother refused to acknowledge her even telling her to just think of me as your sister. So over the years they lost contact in fact my wife lost contact with her whole family because her mom convinced her that no one wanted to have anything to do with her. So after many years of crying over her family and having mental break downs over it. All the while her mother is amassing millions in real estate. She finally gets in contact with her sister after about 20 years on Facebook since then she has been in contact with the whole family except her mom who still refused to talk to her even her fathers family that she did not even know about. Well her mom remarried and amassed a fortune with this new guy and actually its not confirmed if they are married. Not to sound insensitive but my wife got a call from her sister that her mom was killed in a car accident. My question is does my wife any claim to the estate. My wife was born in Michigan as far as she knows. Her mom resided in Colorado.


Asked on 4/29/11, 9:41 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
Jonathan Reed Reed & Mansfield

If your wife's biological mother died without a will or trust or some other estate planning technique, then under the law of intestate succession (who get what if there is no will) your wife may very well have a claim. However, if your wife's mother used a will or trust or other estate planning technique to give to people other than your wife, then your wife probably does not have a claim. Since the mother resided in Colorado, a Colorado attorney could answer your question best. I discuss many issue involving probate on my website, www.nevadaprobate.net

Read more
Answered on 4/29/11, 3:16 pm
George Greenberg Greenberg & Nguyen Attorneys at Law

I would add that if your wife was actually leaglly adopted out to another such as her grandmother then any potential claims as a daughter are lost. There is always a chance to inherit as a distant relative but the fact of a sister to your wife and her mother being married makes this unlikely. http://lvfamilylawattorney.com/

George D. Greenberg, Esq.

Las Vegas, Nevada

http://lvfamilylawattorney.com/

Read more
Answered on 5/01/11, 9:58 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Probate, Trusts, Wills & Estates questions and answers in Nevada