Marathon, TX Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

Once a Will has been submitted for probate, it becomes a public document and can be read by anyone on the website of or requested from the local probate clerk.  You may think that your mother had no reason to leave things to someone who took care of her when you did not but she may have thought differently.  Since someone can make a Will in a "lucid moment" and a Will must be notarized with two witnesses, it would be very difficult to prove that she did not make the Will of her own accord, whatever her general condition.  In addition, undue influence must be so great as to overpower a person's normal wishes and desires.  While it is easy to imagine that someone was influenced by the care they received in their dying days, it is not so easy to imagine that a Will gifting the person who provided that care was obtained through undue influence.

If he left a will or a trust naming you as beneficiary, you would be entitled to receive from his estate as he designated (whether or not you were married). If he had no such paperwork and you were not married, then you are not entitled to receive from his estate; however, if you had jointly titled assets (e.g. a house or bank account), you may be entitled to receive his share of those assets (it depends on how the title was held). I recommend you consult with an attorney to discuss this matter in greater detail.