Q: Can I press forgery charges on behalf of my late mother? My mother died recently and we have discovered that a sibling signed my mother’s name to several checks that were drawn on my mother’s credit card. I went to the bank to which these checks were written (to pay a mortgage) and the bank told me that only my mother could press charges.

A: Yes, you would have to open an estate on behalf of your mother. The estate could then sue or prosecute the sibling as the legal party of interest. If there are sufficient assets there are other options to prosecuting. The estate attorney can advise you.