Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Wisconsin

Re: deceased fathers will, trust, & property

As for the life insurance, I am not sure if it was on your father or on your life. If the former,there should be no "transfer of ownership" requirement because you are not transferring ownership. The life insurance contract should state that upon proof of your father's death that they will pay the listed beneficiaries the stated amounts. If it is on your life, I would think you have an absolute right to see the policy to see if you are the owner of the policy or just the covered life. If you have to, write a demand letter to your brother that the policy be transferred immediately to you. Also demand a copy of the Will and any other documents he has. Go to the Probate Department web site where your father resided while alive and see if you can find out over the web the case number and any images of the documents in the file, which would include the Will. If the site does not provide that, tell your brother you will hire at his expense a record copying agency there to make a complete copy of the file; he does not need the attorneys approval to send you what you are requesting. He is in charge of the estate with the attorneys providing legal advice; tell him that if he does not respond you will have to contact the attorneys for the material and also ask for an accounting as to the estate. If you have already asked him this, you might need a sharp letter from an attorney. Almost any attorney with some probate experience can do it, it is just a matter of how much they would charge you.