HELP! Does anybody know anything about estate law?

[renie408]

I am at a friend's house whose live in boyfriend died on Monday in a race car crash. She has been living with him for about ten months. He and three friends all built condos next to each other and also own jointly two other duplex units that they rent out. The boyfriend died intestate and his mother is his nearest living relative. The friends have assured my friend that they are going to handle getting hold of the house, etc, and that she can live here as long as she likes. As soon as the funeral was over, the mother started making noises about coming to look through the house and how it might be better if my friend went back home.

Tonight one of the father's of the guys who were in on the condos with the dead boyfriend said that he was already in touch with a lawyer and that they would handle everything. I always thought that if you died intestate, your stuff went to your nearest living relative, in this case his mother. If the mother gets icky, what recourse do these guys have? And while I think it is sweet and all for them to say they can keep this house for my friend, how realistic is that? If the mother decides she wants her share, aren't they going to have to buy her out?