Cherokee County, GA Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

I do not see where probate is necessary, as there do not seem to be any assets to distribute and no large liabilities to take care of. That, however, is based strictly on what you write there could be other assets or liabilities that change this analysis. The mother may well have claims against the relatives who locked her out of the mobile home. Those, however, would not be part of a probate and should be pursued direction by the mother.

Unfortunately, if you have already tried submitting forms and documents and you aren't getting anywhere, and if you need help and advice on how to file additional documents, then you need to hire a NY attorney. Your other option is to give up on the funds. For one thing, unless you are actually the legally-appointed representative of your late grandmother's estate, you may not even have the clear legal right to claim the funds. If the funds are in the custody of New York State, then it will be their laws that you have to deal with. They aren't required to make it easy to claim lost funds. This likely won't be much consolation to you, but we have the same kind of situation in my own family, where several deceased family members have unclaimed funds on record in North Carolina. However, because there are no currently appointed Executors for their estates, there is no one who currently has the legal right to claim the funds, and the value of the funds does not make it worth opening (or re-opening) the estates to claim them. So there they sit, and will likely remain there forever. You can try contacting a legal aid organization in New York, but most of those groups won't help with estate-related matters like this. You may also be able to find a financial advisor or CPA who will provide you with some advice, if you are using that person for other matters. Good luck- I hope you are able to figure it out.

First I will assume that he was not married to one women and that he had a girlfriend on side. If that is the case, the wife would have rights. Assuming you were 18 or older when your unmarried/divorced dad died and he was competent when he made the beneficiary designations, he could leave his assets to whomever he choose, be it a girlfriend, boyfriend, charity, or family. There is no requirement that he provide for an adult child.