Other people's wills. Closure. And stuff

[freemonkey]

A couple days ago my husband learned that his father had died.... 2 years ago. I don't know all the details but will try to give the basics.

His parents divorced when he and his sisters were kids. Mom moved to Chicago, dad (a doctor doing his internship) stayed in Texas. The kids saw their dad occasionally, spent a couple weeks in summer with him, etc. Eventually dad started his own practice as a surgeon (I think). I'm told he paid minimum child support, and mom did not pursue more, in spite of the fact that he was earning enough to start buying up property and working his way toward millionaireville.

Once they grew up, contact became less and less frequent. In fact, dad never met, or even acknowledged, AFAIK, his daughters' children. Dad remarried in 1991, to a widow with grown or nearly-grown children.

In all the time hubby and I have been together, he spoke to the man only 3,4, maybe 5 times (that I know of). And those conversations were not very productive because he was aging and very hard of hearing. One time he wanted to go visit him, but his dad made many excuses why we couldn't come down. The last time(s) he tried calling, he had to leave a message and no call was returned. I think it was years and years since his daughters had spoken to him.

So now, they want to know why they were not notified. This is very hard on him and his sisters. I think they want closure, and I can understand that, but I think the man was just a bit of a jerk and I think they already know that.

So, okay, my questions: they're talking about hiring a lawyer to find out if

• there was a will
• they are in the will
• there was a reason they weren't notified
• other stuff

I told them to just call his widow and ask the questions they have.

I'm afraid they're going to be disappointed on all fronts, and that it will be a waste of money that none of us have to waste. Not that I believe he left anything to his kids, but are wills easy to find out about? Is it possible to do this without a lawyer? How about finding out what someone died of, or how long they lingered, are coroner's reports a matter of public record? Can someone point me in some sensible direction?

[ms_ann_thrope]

I second your recommendation to just call the widow to ask questions.

Your husband and his sibs should be able to find a lot of stuff on their own from the county in which their father died. If an autopsy was performed by the county coroner or ME, you can purchase a copy of the autopsy report. You might need to provide the exact date of death, though. And remember, not all deaths require an autopsy. You could also check with the local bureau of vital statistics.

Also while visiting the county records, you can see if your father-in-law had a will that was probated. Check with the county probate court; if one was filed, you will likely be able to view it and/or get a copy. If there was no will, then the probate court would have appointed an administrator, who would have been responsible for distributing the probatable assets to the heirs of the estate according to the intestate succession laws of your late father-in-law's state of residence.

If anything turns up hinky, then maybe they will want to see about talking to a lawyer. But they may be able to answer many of their questions by reviewing the county records on their own. Good luck!