When my father died were my sisters and I entitled to anything?
Question Details: My father passed away 8 years ago. I don't know if he had a Will. He and my mother divorced 2 years prior to his death. He was survived by his estranged father as well as his sister. My sisters and I received SS benefits until we turned 18 years old or graduated. My father had a life insurance policy, which we couldn't have been named beneficiaries on because we were never contacted about it. I was 17 when he passed and have since wondered where or to whom the rest of his funds were distributed to (401K, severance pay, etc.).
You need to retain an estates attorny to assist you in any investigation, but after 8 years you may have insurmountable statute of limitations problems that preclude you from any recovery. However, if you were a minor and just become of majority you may still have rights to pursue. Get with an estates attorney immediately.
I am so sorry for your loss and for what happened. Certain assets pass what is called "outside the Will" meaning that they have beneficiary designations in place to allow them to be paid directly to the party named. But I can not imagine that everything went to others rather than you and your sisters. You are his only heirs at law really who would have inherited under the intestacy statutes in the event there was no WIll. Please go and speak with some one (an attorney). Go and review his probate file - it is a public record in the probate court in the county in which he resided at the time of his death. Good luck.
