How do you contest and recover money taken from an estate?

It depends on what the "taking" was and who did the "taking". An estate is a person like any other. The representative of the estate can take any action that would appropriate in a circumstance that did not involve an estate. Do criminal charges need to be filed? Does a demand letter preparing for a lawsuit need to be sent? How would you handle it if your money had been taken? If the "taking" was performed by the representative, action in the court appointing the representative should handle it.