Do the parents of a deceased child who was married have any rights to items they provided to the child before she was married?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Do the parents of a deceased child who was married have any rights to items they provided to the child before she was married?
My sister passed away two years ago. She was 30 and married for 5 years. Everything her and her husband had was given to her/them by my parents. Car, furniture, appliances, exercise equipment, etc; I could go on and on. My parents have requested a few items from her widower that have sentimental value to them and he is refusing saying they have no rights to anything. Is this true?
Asked on May 23, 2012 under Estate Planning, Kansas
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Sorry to hear about your sister.
If your sister did not leave a Will in which she could have left items to your parents, then the rules of intestate succession determine inheritance. Intestate means dying without a Will. Under intestate succession, your sister's entire estate would go to her surviving spouse and your parents unfortunately would not inherit anything. If there had not been a surviving spouse and if your sister had no surviving children, then your parents would have inherited her estate.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.