ProspectiveBum
Full time employment: Posting here.
DW and her siblings had a fraught relationship with their Dad. He cut off most contact with them 25 years ago when he and DMIL divorced, but they'd see him once or twice a year for a brief check-in. We found out this weekend that he passed away. DW is physically the closest to where he was living, so it makes the most sense for her to try to put his affairs in order. We don't know if he had a will. The landlord where he was living allowed her into his apartment, and she collected some documents, but there was no will among them. He was 90, and may have some meager savings after his final expenses are paid, but mostly we just want to do what's legally and morally right.
Questions:
1. What's the process for determining if he had a will or executor?
2. Assuming that no will or executor is found, will the court appoint DW as executor?
3. He died in his apartment, and had some dementia issues. The place is in bad shape. Likely a service that can handle biowaste and cleanup will be needed. Appropriate for DW to hire a service for cleanup? Can this be billed to his estate? DW doesn't feel leaving this to the landlord is fair.
4. Assuming he has sufficient funds, how to determine priority for paying any outstanding debts? He definitely has some medical bills that are outstanding, as well as the typical utilities.
5. In the paperwork that DW found so far, he had a small checking account, and a small IRA. Can the IRA funds be used to settle his debts?
I know from previous posts here that we should request many copies of the death certificate, which DW will do. Neither of us has any experience handling a situation like this, so any guidance on the questions above, or any other practical considerations would be much appreciated.
Questions:
1. What's the process for determining if he had a will or executor?
2. Assuming that no will or executor is found, will the court appoint DW as executor?
3. He died in his apartment, and had some dementia issues. The place is in bad shape. Likely a service that can handle biowaste and cleanup will be needed. Appropriate for DW to hire a service for cleanup? Can this be billed to his estate? DW doesn't feel leaving this to the landlord is fair.
4. Assuming he has sufficient funds, how to determine priority for paying any outstanding debts? He definitely has some medical bills that are outstanding, as well as the typical utilities.
5. In the paperwork that DW found so far, he had a small checking account, and a small IRA. Can the IRA funds be used to settle his debts?
I know from previous posts here that we should request many copies of the death certificate, which DW will do. Neither of us has any experience handling a situation like this, so any guidance on the questions above, or any other practical considerations would be much appreciated.