Conejos, CO Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

Only creditors of your wife's grandmother can file claims against her estate. All of grandmother's debts must be paid before her assets can be distributed. The assets distributed to her son, your wife's father, would be susceptible to attachment by the IRS. As an executor of the estate the father does not personally own any assets of the estate and thus the IRS would not be able to lien , attached or execute a claim against such assets for his personal debts. Your wife's father may be able to disclaim any distribution from grandmother's estate, in which case the assets would be distributed as if the father predeceased his mother. You should consult with an attorney.

They are exactly correct, just tell your in-laws or you can contact the insurance company and have them send the forms to your in-laws for their signatures. It cannot put you as beneficiary but again, it will be payable to the Estate then you would have access, as his spouse or Personal Representative, to pay his expenses, like funeral expenses.

Hard to say. If the Will was ever filed with the court or there was a probate estate, then yes, it would be on file there. If it was probated, you would already have received a copy. If probate is needed, and there is no Will, it would not change the result...the estate would still be equally divided by you and your siblings. So Will or not, unless the ring was given to your sister, you are entitled to your share. Of course, if your sister refuses, then you would need to hire an attorney and go to the court. That might not be worth it, on a number of levels.