Some Guy Managed To Get Dying Dad's $500k+ Inheritance

LOCATION: North Carolina

My uncle who was a serious alcoholic passed away and gave everything to my dad. When we arrived in my uncles town (full day of flying), my uncles old friend who we never met, drove 10+ hours and was already there and had sorted and cleaned the whole house. He had all the paperwork together and that’s when we found out my uncle had over $500k in a brokerage account. The friend was trying to facilitate everything even though he wasn’t that close to my uncle. He also booked a room at our same hotel and would not leave us alone. The whole thing was raising a bunch of red flags. We quickly found out my uncles will isn’t valid because it didn’t have two witnesses present. My dad is still one of the next of kin though.

We had already been there a few days and strangely, the friend sets up an appointment with the brokerage firm and tells us to go with him. The advisor tells us the friend is the beneficiary of the account. My poor dad had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and he thought he was going to be able to leave something for his family.

Devastatingly, my dad passed away and now my mom is alone after 40 years living off one pension check. My uncle kept telling my parents before he died not to worry because they’re getting everything. We never even met the friend and we are certain my uncle didn’t want this guy to get his entire savings. We also found out the friend had the delivery address for the taxes of my uncles house changed to his own after my uncle died. We nearly didn’t pay the taxes until we looked into it and were told by the post office he had changed the address.

We’re sure this guy managed to change the beneficiary and we have proof he went through all my uncles belongings and cleared the house immediately after he died. I spoke to an attorney shortly after but they said I don’t really have a strong case. Unfortunately it’s been about a year now. My mom and I have been dealing with so much loss and I need to know if I should do something about this or just let it be.

Is it possible or worth it for us to try to get the money? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

TLDR: My uncle died and wanted my dad to get everything. My uncles old friend shows up out of the blue acting suspicious and ends up being the beneficiary of my uncles brokerage account worth over $500K.