What are our beneficiary rights?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What are our beneficiary rights?
My husband’s grandmother passed away 2 months ago. She left a living trust with her son, my husband, and his 2 sisters as the beneficiaries. She left her son as the trustee. We have asked numerous times for over a month for a copy of the trust but have yet to receive it. She also left some military medals to my husband and he has not received them. We live in TN and would like to know what their rights are as far as being a beneficiary go? Also, they have cleared her house out and we do not know what has happened with the contents.
Asked on August 2, 2011 Ohio
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
I am so sorry for your loss. I can surely understand your frustration being s far away from the proceedings, but two months time is really not a lot in the scheme of things. But you are entitled to receive a copy of the trust and it may be a good idea for you to hire an attorney to write you a letter on the matter. Now, the trustee has great power to administer the terms of the trust. Perhaps clearing out the house was with his discretion under the terms. But you are right to question everything until you have been able to read the document and to know that he is not overstepping his powers. As for the medals, the estate can not be distributed until everything is taken care of - the taxes, etc. So you just have to be patient. Good luck.
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.