Mother's personal effects

[cdrehm]

My mother passed away last year, leaving everything in a trust to her husband. I will be the trustee when he passes. My question is this, he will not allow my brothers or I access to anything in the house. He refuses our phone calls and letters. It is my understanding that anything that was hers before they married is not community property and should come to us. I am referring to personal things such as the rings from her marriage to my father, a family ring from my grandmother, family photos, recipes, crocheted tablecloths. He refuses to acknowledge any contact and says we have to wait until he dies to get anything. Legally, do we have rights to the things that were hers before she married him? Can he change the trustee on the trust to replace me? The trust leaves 70% of the estate to my 2 brothers and I and 30% to his 5 kids. Can he change this? Right now I'm just interested in the personal stuff, but would like to know what I'm in for in a few years.

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

Sounds like your first sentence says it all "my mother passed away last year, leaving everything in a trust to her husband".

Gail