My Aunt Is Taking Over After My Dad Died

Location: Arizona

I am a 38-year-old female from Arizona when I was six my mom married my dad and then she left us. For the last 32 years, my dad has been my dad. Well, my dad died. And my aunt showed up and says she has medical and financial power of attorney and I told her that those are for the living man and when he dies, then no longer qualify her. She has begun informally handling his estate. She actually told my son before my dad even really died that she was getting everything.

First, she showed up at my house the day before he died trying to make me go to rehab when I don’t need to go to rehab. I thought this was really strange and when I told her that I want to go to the hospital to see my dad and not to rehab, she became furious and even began to kick my front door when I went inside. Later that night my dad died and I messaged my son to tell him that he should get a lawyer. Well my aunt saw this text and has excommunicated me from the family.

My phone is on my dad‘s plan for Verizon and my aunt called. Verizon pretended to be my dead dad and had them shut off my phone. I called Verizon and reported the fraud. After I reported the fraud, I showed my son (20m) who told me that if I do anything I will mess up their inheritance somehow.

My aunt has started exchanging my dad‘s furniture in his house. She dropped $4500 on a lawyer for my son to fight me for the custody of my other son. I was told if I go to my dad’s home where my kids live, that I will be arrested. Even though I have done nothing to be arrested for.

Also, I was told that my dad left me something we just don’t know what it is. It will probably be just whatever’s left over after she takes everything.

My dad loved me and my kids, I don’t believe this is what he would have wanted to happen. He spent his life including me in his world just for me to be abandoned by his family in his death.

My oldest son just wants me to do nothing because he thinks it will ruin his inheritance somehow. If I go to the probate court and show them what she did to me and they take her off as the informal executive, could I end up ruining what my children were going to get from his inheritance?

Edit: to answer questions from the comments no, he is not my legal father. He is my equitable father, which is perfectly valid in Arizona probate court. Since I was sick, he has helped me out to be his daughter his only child. In Arizona, equitable adoption is recognized in probate court. However, he DID adopt my children.