My wife is entitled to a portion of her Grandfather's estate by virtue of her mother's death. The estate is divided as follows: 50% to a natural daughter, 25% to a stepdaughter, 12.5% to my wife's sister and 12.5% to my wife. Aside from real estate, the bulk of the remainder of the estate is made up of personal property, much of it antiques. By law, do we have a right to demand an appraisal of the personal property? If the natural daughter and step-daughter chose to retain ownership of the personal property as opposed to selling it, do they owe my wife 12.5% of its value?

You may. Speak with a probate attorney to be sure. A lot would depend on just how valuable these antiques are. There's a difference between sentimental value and real value.

By law, do we have a right to demand an appraisal of the personal property? If the natural daughter and step-daughter chose to retain ownership of the personal property as opposed to selling it, do they owe my wife 12.5% of its value?Hello adjustaman:

Your wife owns 12.5% of it, and if they want it, they're going to have to buy it from her. I don't know if you have the right to have it appraised by law, but you certainly have the right to have it appraised as the seller.

I don't believe you'll be forced to accept whatever they want to pay.

excon