Do my half-siblings have legal right to my stepfather’s property?
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Do my half-siblings have legal right to my stepfather’s property?
My mother and her common law husband my stepfather lived in my maternal grandparents house. My mother passed away 11 years ago and her husband passed last month. My stepfather’s 1/2
sibling tells me that I have no legal rights to the property. There was no Will. The house was in my stepfather’s name. My stepfather’s full siblings are not interested in the house/property.
Asked on May 13, 2018 under Estate Planning, Ohio
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
You do not have any right to inherit from your stepfather, regardless of his half-sibling's rights: "stepchild" is not a legal relationship and does not create any rights to inherit at law. Your stepfather could have left something to you in a will, if he had one, since a person may will property or assets to anyone he or she likes, but without a will, you will not inherit from him no matter what happens to the property (e.g. to a house in his name).
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