QUESTION
Can I change the locks on my house after my husband passed if he owned the house and not me?
Asked on Jun 17th, 2020 on Wills and Probate - Maine
More details to this question:
My husband passed without a will, and the house we live in together is only in his name. It's paid off, but I'm worried his parents might try to move in and claim it when I go stay with my daughter for a few months. His mother has a key. Am I able to change the locks?
1 ANSWER
2 Awards
Please talk to a probate attorney who practices in the county in which your husband died and the house is located. With that person's help, apply to settle your husband's estate by filing a Small Estate Affidavit or an Application to Determine Heirship and Issue Letters of Independent Administration. In Texas you have a lifetime right to live in the house whether it was separate or community property. Be sure to give notice that you have not abandonned that right by spending time elsewhere.
Answered on Jun 18th, 2020 at 5:25 AM
This is general information. It cannot substitute for a personal consultation with an attorney. It is not intended to be legal advice or imply an attorney-client relationship.