Not what the heading appears but it got your attention. My ex-mother in law + I have been in superb terms after my divorce 20+ years ago.Her husband passed a few months ago + she has gone downhill. I'm moving her up here to my home until we can find assisted living or she can stay here for the duration.That's O.K. by me.She is a great person + I love her dearly. Groundwork. Now what I need to know (with all of your help) is #1- an honest agent to sell her estate + get her the most that she can get. She is in downtown Dallas.Any help is appreciated.Thanks,Randy

If you are looking for a !00% honest probate attorney, or a 100% honest consignment seller for your MIL's things, I'd have to say I believe you'd have a much easier time of it if you were looking for a 100% honest politician in Congress.

My advice would be for you to take bids from folks who buy whole estates and pay you up front in cash or many, many Postal Money Orders.

(Do not trust bank-certified checks. cashier's cheques or other money orders, I'd say. They may or may not be lgit, but they can be very difficult to cash.)

You don't have to accept any of their offers, of course, and you'll probably want to get two or three offers.

Otherwise, if you want every buck the estate can bring and NO rip-offs or skimming, you'll have to make the long haul to Big D, plan on spending a week or more on site, inventory the stuff all yourself, and then sell it and arrange for delivery yourself, item by item. Just not normally feasible.

Good luck and God speed.

you are looking for an honest lawyer?

Norman,

I find it incredible that you feel the need to assist your ex-mother-in-law 20 years after a divorce. I also find it incredible that she wants you to. That says a lot about you as a man. Seems like your ex-mother-in-law is a better judge of character than you ex-wife.

Butch, I'm a lawyer and believe it or not, most are honest and well meaning. Some are not and those are despicable. I could give you a list of those who are not based upon 27 years of experience, but then they would sue me.

Norman, I'll send you contact information for a good probate/estate and trust attorney. Don't know if he can help you. He ain't cheap, but he's good and I use him personally. Hope he can help.

Lavaca,thanks for the input + kind words. The grandkids will be bring her up this Friday. I will know more then;+ thanks again. R.

I personally applaud your sentiments, but, not only do I think, but I know that you're biting off WAAY more than you're prepared to handle, especially time-wise.

In addition, if you're not extremely careful or lucky, you have a fairly high probability of being sued after the dust settles.

Good luck, you're going to need a large portion of it.