Agua Dulce, TX Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

If he left a will or a trust naming you as beneficiary, you would be entitled to receive from his estate as he designated (whether or not you were married). If he had no such paperwork and you were not married, then you are not entitled to receive from his estate; however, if you had jointly titled assets (e.g. a house or bank account), you may be entitled to receive his share of those assets (it depends on how the title was held). I recommend you consult with an attorney to discuss this matter in greater detail.

If you provide the bank with a certified copy of your letter of office that should be sufficient to gain access to any bank account held in your husband's name. If the bank account was a joint account the account would not be in your husband's estate. It would be owned by the surviving joint tenant. The death certificate would give them authority to turn the account over to the surviving joint tenant. As the executrix you can require the bank to provide you with information on all of his accounts, including the title on all of his accounts.