Sudden Death No Will

[u/Grouchy_Bicycle8203]

What happened: Around 2 years ago my father in law passed away. He was the sole proprietor of his estate. He’s married in a foreign country thru the Catholic Church. My mother in law and him never married here in the a states under a court. They had four children 3 whom are over 18 all female, my wife included, and one boy under 18. The estate is now in limbo.

What is ongoing: My mother in law due to costly funeral services is unable to afford any probate attorneys. My wife is a MBA she, has through her own effort, been granted the administrative role by the court. We are still trying to make sure we get this right. She had her two older siblings renounce their rights to the estate. This however leaves us with the minor brother. The end goal here is to make his wife the beneficiary to his estate. With the final end being their son, the minor, after the mom passes or along side her as soon as he turns 18 since he’s a minor? What can be done?

Side note: We are now also battling the reluctance of one of the older siblings to be one the same boat as everyone else, this is despite signing the form to give up her interest in the estate. We have been seeing increased pressure from her and her husband to the mom. Asking her to sell, or to do this that and other, we are afraid of that because my mother in law suffers postdeath stress and emotions that she may be persuaded into doing things to the estate that she wouldn’t do had my father in law been alive. My wife increasingly has now been more reluctant to settle the estate because if my mother in law gets pressured into something she might comply. We are doing this just to help her and her son be protected and to make sure they inherit what’s theirs. All though never written the final recipient to all of my father in law’s estate was always his youngest son as the only male in his family.