J
JP1200
Guest
- Jurisdiction
- Colorado
I have a bit of a complicated issue regarding estate matters in Colorado. I would greatly appreciate any help any of you can provide.
A little background:
My mother was remarried and lived in Colorado for nearly 20 years. Both my brother and I are children of an earlier marriage and do not have any relation to her latest husband, Bill. Bill also had children in a marriage prior. There are no children from the marriage between Bill and my mother. Bill passed away in May of 2015, my mother passed away in February 2016.
At the time of his passing the most recent will filed with the court for Bill showed that my mother inherited all assets and Bill's brother was to act as personal representative. Bill's children disagreed with this will and state they have a more recent version that leaves all assets to them, this will has not been filed with the court. There has not been any estate opened for Bill due to lack of cooperation on the part of his brother.
Before her passing my mother hired an attorney to try to sort out the problem. the attorney wanted to appoint my mother as the personal representative, but unfortunatley she passed away before this could happen. I am the appointed PR for my mothers estate and have begun notifying banks, 401ks, etc. of the passing. Most of the accounts were held in Bill's name, yet they were not notified of his passing until my call.
I have hired another attorney to work with me on my mother's estate since she died intestate. The attorney has attempted to contact Bill's children without luck. Today I completed the necessary forms to petition the court to become the PR for Bills estate as well. I would prefer not to do this part, but it seems that it is needed in order to distribute my mothers share of the jointly controlled assets into her estate.
Now here is the question I am looking to answer. If Bill's children remain unresponsive, do I have any obligation to them? I am assuming that if they do not formally protest the current will then I can proceed without them being that the will leaves all the assets to my mother. What is my responsibility and liability regarding them?
A little background:
My mother was remarried and lived in Colorado for nearly 20 years. Both my brother and I are children of an earlier marriage and do not have any relation to her latest husband, Bill. Bill also had children in a marriage prior. There are no children from the marriage between Bill and my mother. Bill passed away in May of 2015, my mother passed away in February 2016.
At the time of his passing the most recent will filed with the court for Bill showed that my mother inherited all assets and Bill's brother was to act as personal representative. Bill's children disagreed with this will and state they have a more recent version that leaves all assets to them, this will has not been filed with the court. There has not been any estate opened for Bill due to lack of cooperation on the part of his brother.
Before her passing my mother hired an attorney to try to sort out the problem. the attorney wanted to appoint my mother as the personal representative, but unfortunatley she passed away before this could happen. I am the appointed PR for my mothers estate and have begun notifying banks, 401ks, etc. of the passing. Most of the accounts were held in Bill's name, yet they were not notified of his passing until my call.
I have hired another attorney to work with me on my mother's estate since she died intestate. The attorney has attempted to contact Bill's children without luck. Today I completed the necessary forms to petition the court to become the PR for Bills estate as well. I would prefer not to do this part, but it seems that it is needed in order to distribute my mothers share of the jointly controlled assets into her estate.
Now here is the question I am looking to answer. If Bill's children remain unresponsive, do I have any obligation to them? I am assuming that if they do not formally protest the current will then I can proceed without them being that the will leaves all the assets to my mother. What is my responsibility and liability regarding them?
