Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Washington
my legal rights as a legal heir
do i have any rights to my fathers estate? he left a wife and two step children. i have not heard anything from them since his death. i am his only blood relative his child. i dont know if he left a will. need to know what i can do.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: my legal rights as a legal heir
If your father died without a will, you would have rights. If your father had a will, he could write you out. You need to do some investigation here to find out what actually happened.
Re: my legal rights as a legal heir
Yes, you may have some rights if there was no will. A lot will depend on what his estate consisted of, and how title was held.
For example, if there is a home and it is held as joint tenants with him and his wife, she would automatically receive full ownership.
If he owned separate property, you would be entitled to 1/2 and his wife would be entitled to 1/2. Absent a will or a trust, a probate should be opened if the estate is in excess of $100,000, and there was separate property.
Give me a call with more details, and we can see what is the best way to proceed.
Ken Koenen
925-924-0100