Probate/House Question
probate attorney Missouri Aug 12, 2026
Location: Missouri Long story short- my ex-husband and I got divorced in March of 2023, and our divorce decree states that I agreed to let him keep the house we had built the year before. He was having an affair (with our therapist, but that's a whole other story lol) and married her ~3 days after our divorce finalized. Flash forward to June of 2025, he passed away from addiction. Upon his death, I was contacted by the company his life insurance policy was under, informing me that I had been deemed the beneficiary. This was a shock because of the divorce, and I was able to sus out that he had added me as the beneficiary within 6 months of his death. (He had been warned of this outcome if he didn't stop.) Now, his estate is in probate. I've been contacted by an attorney that is representing his wife, stating that the house that we had built still has my name on the deed. I checked with my divorce attorney and she has record of me signing a quit claim deed, but it was never filed. She states that it was his responsibility to file it, per our decree. My ex and I share a 9-year-old daughter, so she is an heir to the estate. My question is- do I have any grounds to fight this and attempt to take ownership of the house? I don't want to do anything that goes against what I said I would do in the decree obviously, but I do feel that the quit claim was never filed intentionally, just like the life insurance situation. I have serious concerns about his wife being the executive of the estate- it's been just over a year and she is already getting remarried (to each their own, but I'm judging lol), and has not allowed us to obtain my daughter's belongings from the home. I'm not even sure where to start and wasn't sure if it's worth hiring an attorney. Thanks for any advice/guidance you can give me!
