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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GoldFinger1969, post: 26586903, member: 73489&quot;]Yup, my mother&#039;s aunt (not by blood, her husband was Mom&#039;s uncle -- her mother&#039;s brother) suddenly got alot more calls from her side of the family once her husband died and that side of the family was no longer as &quot;tied&quot; to her by blood.</p><p><br /></p><p>Plus, you had a couple with no kids....a business in the 1950&#039;s through 1970&#039;s....then work as a bartender at one of the top restaurants in the NY/NJ area....wife had little clerical jobs....they spent nothing on housing (1962 purchase, 1100 sq feet 1-level)...cars....or jewelry....2 overseas trips I think in 50 years.&nbsp; Plenty of savings...some blue-chip mostly utilities and IBM investments and most savings in bonds/CDs.....VOILA !!!&nbsp; Pretty decent estate and the vultures come out of the woodwork. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>I don&#039;t know how it works in other states, but when the law firm representing this estate or any other in New Jersey...they send out a notice not only to the beneficiaries but also to ANYBODY in the family who would have been entitled to $$$ had there been no will (&quot;heirs at law&quot; they call them).&nbsp; I mean, it&#039;s a bit irritating: you get a letter stating you are NOT a &quot;winner&quot; in the Estate Lottery. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>So the same letter is sent by the law firm to maybe 25 people....and only 6 or 7 are getting anything.....an 18 people are there, all tied by blood to the decedent....and they&#039;re getting nothing for the most part (unless a specific asset lists them as beneficiary if not in the will).&nbsp; Like I said, it&#039;s like another shot to the gut for some of them especially because they tried to weasel their way into the will and/or they assumed they would be in there and instead see other family members or non-family members listed.</p><p><br /></p><p>And you know some of them tried to talk their relative into updating/changing the will...but failed.&nbsp; They may have come close, but verbal affirmations or promises or even new drafts do NOT count.&nbsp; I know because one time there was a will that was NOT notarized....3 people signed it.....the 2 parents were deceased....but the other signer, a child, was alive and he vouched that the signatures above his were his parents (who ran the law firm that drafted the will).&nbsp; A non-notarized will might very well be thrown out.....but a valid notarized will will supercede even an attempt to draft a new one that is 95% complete if it is not 100% complete and signed and notarized.&nbsp; &quot;Intent&quot; doesn&#039;t count -- I know from hearing from bitching heirs at law.<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>You learn alot working as an advisor on some of these things.&nbsp; Very interesting stuff ! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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