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I assume when you say his mother is the beneficiary, you mean of a life insurance policy, an IRA or a similar account. There is nothing you can do. Your husband had the right to name his beneficiary and he chose his mother. Now this may have been done years ago, perhaps before you even met him, but by not doing some estate planning, you're screwed. A person is only liable for a funeral bill if they signed the paperwork.

You might try going to a "clinic" at a local law school to see if they can help you. If you paid the funeral bill, you can file under the small estates procedure in Michigan probate court - and obtain an order assigning the assets to you. You would need the death certificate, the paid funeral bill and evidence of the assets that have to pass through probate. For the medallion signature, you can take the order that you would obtain from probate court for the small estate - assigning the assets to you - to a bank, such as Chase - where they have officers who can provide the medallion signature, and then you can transfer those assets (such as stock certificates). You might also check with a qualified financial advisor for assistance.