u/Careful-Chip405

I have probably known 10 journalists in my life.

Everything from college professors in Journalism Departments to local newsmag editors in Central Texas to investigative reporters for Texas Monthly and to the man (and woman) they are pretty committed Center Left Establishment Types.

I’ve long found this curious and when I’ve got the chance to point this out and ask them about it they always get a bit defensive.

A little background. My elderly father passed away in the summer of 2023. He was elderly and was drafting wills left and right near the end (he was an attorney) and was sadly making some bad decisions.

My aunt was the original executor of his last will (a weird choice) but was fired in late 2023 for unresponsiveness and I was appointed in her place. We hired a local probate attorney and paid him $10,000. The will itself is pretty simple with one caveat: the will stated that “education trusts” were to be set up for his 5 grandchildren but they were never funded. Instead, he had five cashiers checks made out to them for $50K apiece. So it’s all in limbo. We can’t do anything with the checks.

Years have dragged on and the court has heard our arguments, even appointing an attorney for the grandchild who’s still a minor (the other kids are all adults). From my perspective the court hasn’t done anything in months and the new attorney appointed by the court for my daughter hadn’t reached out to us despite us reaching out to her months ago.

Is this normal? Will this thing just drag out for more years??

A little background. My elderly father passed away in the summer of 2023. He was elderly and was drafting wills left and right near the end (he was an attorney) and was sadly making some bad decisions.

My aunt was the original executor of his last will (a weird choice) but was fired in late 2023 for unresponsiveness and I was appointed in her place. We hired a local probate attorney and paid him $10,000. The will itself is pretty simple with one caveat: the will stated that “education trusts” were to be set up for his 5 grandchildren but they were never funded. Instead, he had five cashiers checks made out to them for $50K apiece. So it’s all in limbo. We can’t do anything with the checks.

Years have dragged on and the court has heard our arguments, even appointing an attorney for the grandchild who’s still a minor (the other kids are all adults). From my perspective the court hasn’t done anything in months and the new attorney appointed by the court for my daughter hadn’t reached out to us despite us reaching out to her months ago.

Is this normal? Will this thing just drag out for more years??

52M/56F
Austin, Texas
Kids out of the house
Yearly Income: \~$300-400K (sales)

Assets:

Home: $1M
Cash: $45K
401K: $595K
CDs: $560K
IRA Brokerage Accounts: $930K
Mineral Rights: $160K (est.)

Debts:

Mortgage: $723K
ParentPlus Loans: $168K