Use a Free Unclaimed Inheritance Search
You simply enter your name and the deceased's name. The service will then see if the deceased owned any property that went to a government agency. You can also perform a search through the unclaimed property office in the state where your loved one lived.
A person reviewing probate records may be able to see who a Beneficiary is, where they live, and how much they inherited. People can access information about: What the deceased owned.
If they used a Will, then it is the executor who should be notifying you, generally within a few months of the death. If they used a Trust, then it is the trustee who should be notifying you. The timeline is much shorter. California laws, for example, require that beneficiaries are notified within 60 days of the death.
www.unclaimed.org is the website of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. This is a legitimate site created by state officials to help people search for funds that may belong to you or your relatives. Searches are free.
Check With the County Courthouse
Contact the probate courts of EACH county in which the decedent lived throughout their adult life to ask if they have the will on file—even if it was filed many years ago.
An heir can claim their inheritance anywhere from six months to three years after a decedent passes away, depending on where they live. Every state and county jurisdiction sets different rules about an heir's ability to claim their inheritance.
Heir: An heir is a person legally entitled to inherit a portion of the estate of a deceased person, typically in the absence of a will. Heirs are usually close family members, such as children or spouses.
In California, the beneficiaries typically obtain access to a copy of the Will through probate. The probate process commences at the time of death, so the Will is filed with the probate court. Afterward, the proxy appointed to oversee execution can provide all the beneficiaries and family members with a copy.
The best place to begin your search is www.Unclaimed.org, the website of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). This free website contains information about unclaimed property held by each state. You can search every state where your loved one lived or worked to see if anything shows up.
Californian law prohibits hiding or withholding a will without lawful excuse. According to California Probate Code Section 8250(a), any person found guilty of intentionally hiding or omitting a will without legal justification is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Online platforms that allow access to wills and probate records include probate court websites, public records repositories, and genealogy sites like Ancestry.com. Some sites, like FamilySearch, provide free access, while others might require fees or offer trial periods.
The California Probate Code allows for victims of inheritance theft to pursue double damages, treble damages, punitive damages, disinheritance of the thief, attorney's fees, and costs in particularly egregious circumstances, so often a letter that explains the potential consequences will be sufficient to convince your ...
Family members related by blood, marriage, or adoption can inherit your intestate estate. Intestate succession laws do not favor any family member not related biologically or with whom you have not signed a legal agreement. These people include: Stepfamily (stepchildren, stepparents, stepsiblings)
The general rules are: if there's no will, the person's spouse or civil partner and then any children have first claim to the estate. if there's no spouse or child, anyone descended from a grandparent of the person is entitled to a share in the estate.
If you are the designated beneficiary on a deceased person's bank account, you typically can go to the bank immediately following their death to claim the asset. In general, there is no waiting period for beneficiaries to access the money; however, keep in mind that laws can vary by state and by bank.
Writing a will and naming beneficiaries are best practices that give you control over your estate. If you don't have a will, however, it's essential to understand what happens to your estate. Generally, the decedent's next of kin, or closest family member related by blood, is first in line to inherit property.
Under California Probate Code 16061.7, trustees are obligated to notify all beneficiaries and heirs within 60 days after the trust creator passes away in order to ensure all parties involved can take appropriate actions regarding their inheritance.
State laws typically govern the specific timeframe for keeping an estate open after death, but the average is about two years. The duration an estate remains open depends on how fast it goes through the probate process, how quickly the executor can fulfill their responsibilities, and the complexity of the estate.