I live in Washington state, where my step father passed away. As laws vary by county and state I am searching for someone who may be able to clue me on on what rights by brother (his biological son) and myself (giving power of attorney by my brother to handle my father’s estate) have in retrieving my father’s personal effects.
My father resided with a woman for 6 years. We are concerned she will be selling, auctioning, removing his belongings from the house they shared. There is no common law laws in Washington state, and after doing my research I’ve found she has no legal right to anything of our dad’s. The fear of her selling his things is very real as she has proving consistently to be a very calculating and spiteful woman with little care for anything but the money. Several days after his death she was speaking to a financial planner about probate for his estate. Additionally she has withheld documents of great financial importance regarding, debts and assets.
I want to know how I can legally insure she is unable to sell, pawn, barter, or otherwise get rid of his things. And additionally I would like to know if there is anything I can legally do to get the belongings out of her possession.
Please include references or links if any so I can use them in the future. Thank you!
In response to J. I have a lawyer. A very good one in fact. I want to know if there is some sort of injunction I can file or something to that effect. And if so what it would be called and if I am able to petition it myself. It’s not really about not being to afford a lawyer, more a matter of trying to cut the cost of the lawyer when I can.
