Need a good estate lawyer

[NayNay]

So as the title says I'm looking for a lawyer. Perferably one with barracuda teeth. This is why...

My father inlaw passed away in May due to a farming accident and he didn't have a will. What he does have is a wife, six kids (one being my wife), and an ex wife that needs to be..... well fill in the blank. Anyways, my father inlaw has/had a 100 year farm south of Alix that is made up of around 750 arces, crops, cattle, and equipment. Which turns out to be a fair amount of money all together.
Here is where the problem starts. Ex wife with no claim what so ever is trying to get her 3 kids from the first marrige (they haven't had a thing to do with my father in law for around 20 years because they hate him and did nothing to help the farm out in that time) to get the land and everything sold ripping apart the farm. My mother in law has a lawyer in Stettler thats in way over her head. We need to get a different lawyer thats done this kind of thing before or my mother in law risks losing everything. My mother in law has been a house/farm wife her entire life, so if she loses the farm she has nothing.....
Very sad to see a 100 year farm go, even worse when it's family that rips it apart over money.

Any recommendations welcome!

Side note- If you don't have a will get one! Doesn't matter if you die and your married, everyone thinks the wife/husband gets everything by default. Soooo not true, anyone can contest it.

[northerntrapper]

And anyone can contest a well thought out will. A lot of families are split up over a death in the family, even with a will. But, having said that, a will done up by a competent lawyer is definitly a must, and should never be overlooked.

[Soon2flypat]

No will = big problems. People you thought we're once good people turn into vultures. If there is no will, it's basically a crap-shoot as to how it will get divided. Good luck with your situation. Estate disputes can take years to settle and costs thousands of dollars.

[Faststeel]

Try Yolanda Van Walchem at McLennan Ross, 780 482 9200. FS

[bushnell]

Hate to say this, even with a will. Some family members always feel entitled to more than what was given to them. My MIL passed away in Feb, and we has one greedy sibling in the family.

[Stonecutter]

I believe that one of the worst things one can do to show their true colours is contest someone's final wishes. It's the ultimate insult to the memory of the family member who has passed on. Although your FIL didn't have a will - I'm sure that he would have wanted his current wife taken care of. When people go against what is good and right - well, frankly - it disgusts me.

I have no words of advice to you for this fight. I do wish you well with it - it's going to suck.

[Mike_W]

Are the three kids from the first marriage his?

The way I have been explained is that if a man has even 1 child from a previous marriage and 4 from the most recent the first child is entitled to half not just 20%

There has been lots of changes around this because if everything went to the widow and not the three children once the estate is in her name and if she passes the children from the first marriage would be completely cut out.

One of the best (and most expensive) is Remi G St. Pierre in Edmonton

[NayNay]

Thanks for the info everyone. Anyone else have adivice or when through this?

[brownbomber]

No advice other than final wishes should be kept. Dirtbags everywhere with sense of entitlement. Your parents owe you nothing. They gave you life.