I have been served by courts through certified mail. It states I have 10 days to file an answer. Am I suppose to file an answer, do I need an attorney to do so? My sister is executor of the will and refuses to honor our mother. The sister in question and her 2 daughters physically assaulted me in my mothers yard while her body still laid in the house. The law gave one daughter a citation at the scene. I'm at a loss of what to do. She said she would see to it I got nothing. I have 3 other sisters and hate for them to suffer due to me and the one sister not agreeing.
You need to contact an estate litigator (I am not one, although I know a number of them) as soon as possible, before you run out of time to answer. Based on your question, it sounds like your sister may be appointed as the Executor, but she may not be a good choice for that role. If the petition you received notice of would admit the Will to probate and make her appointment as Executor final, then you may want to challenge her appointment and propose someone else (possibly yourself) as Executor instead.
I can't tell from your question exactly what you've been served with, but my guess is that it's probably a petition to probate the Will and get your sister appointed. If you don't answer in the required time, and that is what it is, you will lose your chance to object to the probate and your sister's appointment. If she's really not a good choice for that role, you could end up with her damaging the estate and your interests in it, and then having to try to have her removed. It would be better to get that aired out up front. But it should not be a do-it-yourself project. Get a consultation with a good estate litigator and see if they think you have a case worth pursuing. But don't wait; you will lose your chance very quickly. Best wishes to you.
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