Hello thelaw.com forum, I'm completely unaware of what to do as I just found out my father passed away from illness in Taiwan a week ago and he told everyone not to tell me he was ill. He was a US citizen as well as a Taiwanese citizen. I'm here in Taiwan for the funeral ceremonies and would like to know what information I need to bring back to New York(where I reside and where my dad lived for 25 years until 2010).
I don't think he left a will in America but he wrote out how he wanted his assets distributed in a note when he was dying. The note basically distributed his Taiwan assets to his family in Taiwan(uncles,aunts, cousins) and all of his American assets to me and it is stamped by him(which is like a signature in Taiwan) and my aunt and uncle can attest that he indeed did write it. I am his only son and he divorced 10 years ago to my mom. I'm pretty sure that's not considered an official will which is why I don't know what steps to take to claim his estate.
Also, because they divorced, is there any way I don't have to tell my mother of the death(My dad told her when he retires to Taiwan(Feb2010) he'd stop talking to her(not from anger but he just wanted separation of US life and Taiwan life). She loved my dad very much, I don't want her to feel the sadness that I feel(I am in no way hiding the death for estate distribution gain as my mother is well off and would never take his money). Any advice would be appreciate, thanks a lot.
I don't think he left a will in America but he wrote out how he wanted his assets distributed in a note when he was dying. The note basically distributed his Taiwan assets to his family in Taiwan(uncles,aunts, cousins) and all of his American assets to me and it is stamped by him(which is like a signature in Taiwan) and my aunt and uncle can attest that he indeed did write it. I am his only son and he divorced 10 years ago to my mom. I'm pretty sure that's not considered an official will which is why I don't know what steps to take to claim his estate.
Also, because they divorced, is there any way I don't have to tell my mother of the death(My dad told her when he retires to Taiwan(Feb2010) he'd stop talking to her(not from anger but he just wanted separation of US life and Taiwan life). She loved my dad very much, I don't want her to feel the sadness that I feel(I am in no way hiding the death for estate distribution gain as my mother is well off and would never take his money). Any advice would be appreciate, thanks a lot.
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