Step Mom stealing entire estate
This is one of my first Reddit posts. I'm not usually one to come to the internet for advice, but I am desperate at this point.
My father passed away in Virginia without a will. He was married at the time of his death, and my brother and I are his only children. We are not the children of his wife.
After he died, my stepmother told us she went to the probate court and was told his estate qualified as a small estate, so it did not have to go through formal probate. Which I only found out about after going to the courthouse and receiving the documents.
I know my father had at least a bank account and money from the sale of his car. I have never received an accounting of what assets existed, how much money there was, or how those assets were distributed (They have not been)
Communication with my stepmother has essentially stopped. She has not provided any documentation or explanation about what happened to my father’s estate. I’m considering sending her a formal demand letter asking for information before deciding whether I need to take legal action.
I'm only 23 my mom passed 6 years ago and I truly just feel lost and concerned that taking legal action will be fiancal difficult. I can't afford a lawyer.