The death of a loved one can wreak havoc on the ones they left behind. Things can get even trickier when a will is contested or completely disregarded, adding to the emotional stress in an already very difficult time.
For one Redditor, she was appalled when her dead boyfriend’s family showed up and started stealing stuff from her and her son, despite her being in possession of a legal will that left everything to her. At a loss, she turned to Reddit for legal advice.
More info: Reddit
This woman’s boyfriend died unexpectedly, but left everything to her and her son in a legal will
Image credits: Alex Suprun / unsplash (not the actual photo)
His family turned up and started stealing his stuff, including five cars and two motorcycles
Image credits: Alexander Grey / unsplash (not the actual photo)
His family have taken their dead son's laptop and used his Facebook account to sell his stuff
Image credits: SupraNovaJaxxx
The woman can't afford a lawyer, so she turned to Reddit to ask for legal advice
The woman begins her story by telling the community that her boyfriend died unexpectedly a couple of months back. She adds that he left a will stating that she and her son were to inherit his entire estate, including his house, 5 cars, and 2 motorcycles, among other things.
Apparently, her boyfriend didn’t have a relationship with his parents due to an abusive childhood, but the parents don’t believe he had a will and feel entitled to everything. They’ve since come round to the house and removed all the vehicles for storage at their house, even though a court clerk verified that the will is legal and valid.
To make matters worse, they’ve taken their dead son’s laptop and used his Facebook account to start selling off his smaller possessions like furniture and the like.
OP says she thought it was illegal to touch or remove anything until someone has been assigned to inherit the estate but reached out to Reddit to find out what her legal options are.
In the comments below her original post, OP mentions that she’s now paying double bills, which means she can’t afford a lawyer at the moment. Still, without the intervention of the courts, there’s not much she can do about the family’s atrocious behavior.
Image credits: Sora Shimazaki / pexels (not the actual photo)
According to USLegal, most lawyers charge between $100 and $300 an hour. This can be prohibitive if you don't have a lot of cash to spare and need a lawyer to get you out of a legal jam or protect your assets.
Depending on your situation, you can use a variety of strategies to get free legal advice or low-cost legal assistance. These include contacting the city courthouse, seeking out free lawyer consultations, contacting your county or state bar association, or even visiting a law school. You could also choose to represent yourself.
According to the American Bar Association, OP could also resort to legal aid, pro bono programs, and free legal answers, an online pro bono program that matches low-income clients with volunteer lawyers, who agree to provide brief answers online for free.
After speaking with an attorney or law student, you might decide that you need a lawyer – and you may find one who will work with a relatively small budget. Also, many attorneys offer payment plans that let you pay monthly instead of in one large sum.
Then again, you might find someone willing to take your case on contingency. That is, if you lose your case, you won't pay. But if you win, the law firm will take a portion of the cash awarded to you. Hopefully OP can find some low-to-no cost legal help before it’s too late.
Bored Panda reached out to OP to ask her a few questions about her terrible situation.
When we asked her if she ever expected her post to get the attention it did, she had this to say, "I was very surprised to see my Reddit post received so much attention. My boyfriend's family got wind of it and messaged me about it. I initially thought I had a snitch on my profile. However, one of my friends reached out to me and said they had seen me on the front page of Reddit. That is when I realized the amount of traffic it received. The online community is always willing to weigh in on someone else's drama, however the people who made the effort to leave comments, especially those who contacted me to follow up and offer assistance, are greatly appreciated."
We asked OP what urged her to share her dilemma with the Reddit community and she said, "I'm new to Reddit and am still learning how the community works. The majority of my participation has been offering advice on certain subreddit topics that I'm familiar with. When I was uncertain about the legal circumstances of my situation, I figured there might be someone who had experienced similar circumstances. Reddit seemed the best place to seek advice."
When we asked OP if there'd been any updates on the situation, she told us, "I'm happy to share that I was granted full ownership of the estate on Friday. I immediately changed the locks on the property and took an inventory of everything missing. I will file a police report on Monday morning regarding everything that has been stolen."
OP concluded by saying that it was her hope that her Reddit post will inspire more people to make their own wills and put their final wishes in writing, no matter how old they are. Her boyfriend used a free online template, had two (non-beneficiary) friends sign as witnesses, and paid $10 to have it notarized at UPS.
What do you think of the mess OP finds herself in? Can you believe the gall of the deceased man’s family? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
Redditors weighed in telling the woman to get a lawyer, because this is definitely a matter for the courts
Image credits: Wesley Tingey / unsplash (not the actual photo)
