There are some steps to follow if there appears to be no will.

If a parent passes away and didn't leave a will or you can't locate one, things do not have to be too difficult. There are a few steps people need to take, if they find themselves in this situation, according to Forbes in "Your Parent Didn't Have a Will: What Should You Do Now?"

Those steps include:

• First check to see if your parent had a safety deposit box. Your parent might have created a will and put it in their safety deposit box. It is very common for people to leave their wills there. It can be difficult to gain access to these boxes, but it is possible.
• Search around the house for a will. Check any place your parent put any important financial or legal information. You might find a will stuffed away in some old file folder at the back of a drawer.
• While you are doing this, gather all of the information that you can find about your parent's finances. This information will help you later, so you might as well get it while you are searching for the will.
• Hire an estate attorney to help you. The attorney can assist with the probate process and make things much easier on you.

Reference: Forbes (June 4, 2018) "Your Parent Didn't Have a Will: What Should You Do Now?"