Horrible tragedy
Question: Darla's stepdad murdered her mom and then committed suicide 2 weeks ago. In the middle of that, she has to figure out what to do financially and legally. Each adult had 4 kids and they owned 40 acres. He didn't put her name on the estate and there was no last will and testament.
Dave Ramsey's advice: She probably had marital rights. Wills are not filed publicly; you have to find a will among their things. Get an attorney that does probate work in the state where this happened, and they will represent you. It sounds like your mom would have appointed you as the executor of the estate, so you'll be the one to go in and organize and figure everything out.
If you do have to file a wrongful death suit against his estate to retain her assets, then you'll have to do that. Get someone with a spine who can give good legal advice here.
