Closure for Brandon

Hi, this is Brandon. I just want closure on my mom's death.

My mother died suddenly in March of 2021. My stepdad and I were in sync for the first time as we handled things. However, when I visited for the winter holidays at the end of the year, he still had not completed the first round of paperwork for succession. I helped him with that list. He seemed overwhelmed, alternating between telling me how much he wanted me to feel I could trust him from now on and trying to hook up with ladies from dating sites while I was there for the first time since the funeral.

Around April, I received notification (by being CCed in an email) that a refinance company wanted my social security number so they could add me to the house deed out of succession. When I spoke with my mom and stepdad's lawyer, he told me it sounded like it wasn't fully compliant with law, and advised we complete succession first. My stepdad seemed to understand at the time. A few days later, however, I received a volley of hostile messages from my stepfather, who concluded that my sole reason for not going along with the refinance was to hurt him and that I dirty my mother's name.

I've spent most of May trying to get information from him, but he says to talk to his lawyer. His lawyer has been at a loss to explain his actions and says to talk to my stepdad. His lawyer has also told me I'm within my rights to require things be handled in a timely manner, but after nearly a month of me trying to work things out with no reply, my stepdad has informed me he will not provide even a timeline for completion of the initial round of paperwork, and will not discuss things he formerly said he wanted me to have a say in, such as my mother's personal belongings. He has told me to get a lawyer and never contact him again. Even though his lawyer has urged us to work things out because the cost of litigation is likely to be more than my mom's assets after debt, this appears to be the route my stepdad insists we take.

I've tried reaching out to people who are closer to him, to see if they can get through to him. I've been told they can't be involved because it would only cause hard feelings.

It feels like at least half the billboards in Louisiana are for lawyers, and it all feels very gimmicky. Thanks to some wonderful friends, I've found a lawyer I feel I can trust - but he lives in New Orleans, and requires a $5,000 initial deposit, which he then charges against. If actual travel for court appearances happens, it could go higher. I'm in Virginia, and my lawyer would have travel costs as well.

I'm hoping that the initial deposit will create enough stuff that we can get my stepdad to comply with my mom's wishes and his previous commitments to me. If it doesn't, I'll find a way to pay for it. Unfortunately, this hostility all came about after I'd tapped my personal resources to buy my first home, and it could take several more months for me to collect the money.