need lawyer to handle moneym, tax return after Trust and estate closed?

[Ann_Mack]

My mother had a will and a Trust. My brother was the executor and with the lawyer supposedly closed everything out. We went to court and had the Trust disolved and the estate closed. Several days after, they realized there was uncollected insurance money. The lawyer is handling all this; without mine and another brother's consent. Also, he keeps postponing the tax filing and wants to hold the money in his account. Can we not distribute the money ourselves and have the accountants file the tax return? I don't want this lawyer to have his hands on any more of our money when we can do the work ourselves.

 

[NY_Shark]

The estate is going to have to be reopened to collect the insurance money, assuming the insurance money was to go to the deceased. This could take a little while--a few weeks or months even to have time to close it again.

Your brother does not need consent from distributees to appoint or keep a lawyer.

The executor is responsible for filing the tax return. And considering the year hasn't even ended yet, he is probably going to be sitting on that money for 5 or so months before the taxes are paid. The lawyer has the money in an interest-bearing account. I'm sure it's safe. In short, it is the decision of the executor and his attorney.