The inheritance plans fell through. When my aunt checked with the lawyer, he said that she needed to backtrack a bit.
First of all, my father left no will. In this state it means that his widow would get half of the estate, and any children would divide the rest up equally among themselves. However my father and his wife had a prenup which clearly stated she was entitled to nothing. My aunt, acting as administratrix for the estate, settled with the widow who was suing the estate. My father owed her money, and she was paid. Then she disappeared with her brand-new(?) boyfriend not 6 months after my father's death. Lovely.
Most of my father's possessions and properties have gone to pay outstanding debts. My four half-sisters wanted the house in which they grew up, and James and I agreed they should have it. As I recently stated, the bar and its accompanying house was to be divided between James and I as our share. Not now. It seems that it wouldn't be legal. First, James and I have to prove that we are our father's children, according to the lawyer. James' mother was angry with our father and by the time James was born, had married someone else. Out of spite, she named her new husband as James' father. To compound the difficulties, either he or her next husband adopted James. He has a complicated legal battle ahead of him to prove who his real father is.
In my case, my mother was also furious with my father when I was born. It would seem he was charming when you met him but less so as time went on, wouldn't it? Perhaps the colossal amount of drugs he was doing back then had something to do with it. Anyway, when I was born my mother had them leave the "father" portion of my birth certificate blank. So now I, too, must prove that I am my father's daughter. He was cremated and my aunt is having trouble locating a doctor who might have a DNA sample lying around. I suggested that James and I have our DNA compared to our sisters' to prove who we are, since the word of our father and his family isn't enough for the courts. The sisters were all born to our father and his second wife, so there is no doubt about their legitimacy. To be clear, the family has no doubt that James and I are his children. He openly acknowledged us to one and all. But for the purposes of the court, we are not considered his children at the present time. It seems I may have to speak with a lawyer of my own, which is something I have absolutely no funds for. On that matter, I'm feeling tired, fed-up and a little defeated.
As to having to prove that I am his child, on one hand I can understand it. I know where the law is coming from. But on a personal level, this is painful and I am angry. Which pretty much sums up my entire relationship with the man.
Parents can be an awful lot of trouble sometimes, can't they?
My father led a colorful life, and it's up to the rest of us to pay for it. :0P