QUESTION: Dear Legal Wiz,

My dead dad left a will. One of the houses is to be shared for all his children of my mother. The other house is for my step mom who he later married and her children. The step mother is preventing us from entering the house left for my maternal siblings and I.

The lawyer office where the will was drafted, is no longer on the case and refuses to give us any information. The secretary at that office in Montego Bay, had signed it. They say they never had a file.

Dear Shana,

There are several steps you need to do. Among the first steps are to have a talk with the named executor on the will. If there is no executor acting, you will need appoint one of the siblings to act on behalf of all your maternal siblings. The eldest child is the one with priority. Acquire a copy of the titles for the properties to ensure your father had legal rights to will the entire properties. You then will need to take steps to either probate the will or apply for letters of administration through the Court. Information on doing both is provided on this site. It is recommended that you contract an attorney to assist you. 

As far as the attorney office goes, you may need to seek assistance from the Jamaica Bar Association.