Estate Laws and Wifes rights in the commonwealth of kentucky?

Question

If a husband dies with no will, and owns property what are the rights of the wife, and his childern from previous marragies?

Thanks

Rights of the wife (married to at death)?
Rights of the his 4 childern?
What weight would a leter hold in a court of law wrote by the deceased but not wittnessed, only signed?

Answer 1

As schz told you, INTESTATE SUCCESSION controls.

Although schz told you were to read a website's opinion, the CORRECT link is here:

http://www.lrc.state.ky.us/KRS/391-00/CHAPTER.HTM

EDITED BASED ON ADDITIONAL INFO:

Any document outside of a will which has been duly executed per the statutes of the Commenwealth, is worthless for matters of Probate.

As suggested previously, his estate is to be filed INTESTATE.

Answer 2

Wife's from previous marriages? Well, nothing for them since they were divorced. If they aren't divorced then she is entitled to her share.

Reference the children from the previous marriage, if the husband died or dies with no will and he didn't put them as the beneficiaries when he bought the house, then I do not think that they are entitled to any part of it.

But this could be argued in a Court of Law. All this is depending on the situation.

Answer 3

The children collect FIRST. The natural children (and those adopted by HIM) collect the entire estate, after debts are paid, and it is divided equally between them. She has no legal right to the estate if there are children.

Answer 4

The wife will get a third. The children, regardless of number, and which wife they were born to will get a third, and the GREAT state of KY will get their third

Answer 5

Kentucky intestate succession laws: http://www.finance.cch.com/pops/c50s10d190_KY.asp