Kids Inheritance Who has the Right?

My ex father in law passed away 2 years ago with no will, he lived in Florida, my kids (his grandkids) are entitled to a share of the estate. My kids are 16 & 13 and we live in Colorado. The lawyer assigned to my kids have put the money into a savings account until they turn 18, however, no one ever spoke with me or my kids about doing so. As I am their legal guardian shouldn't I and my kids had some say in this? My son was going to use it to pay for driving lessons and a beater car, not to mention winter clothes, my daughter wanted to continue her horse back riding lessons, which do to money issues I told her we would have to quit, she also was look forward to having some good winter clothes. It isn't a lot of money under $4,000. Most of that would have been staying in their own savings accounts anyway, but here they would have access.

Thank you all for your answers. As for it being a good start on a college education fund, you must not have read the amount and the kids' ages very closely. Unless the interest rate is 200% it won't even pay for a semester of college let alone the books they would need. As for them not needing it now, clothes are necessary and yes I lack the funds for winter clothing. The others are luxury items but why should my kids be deprived of things they want and want to do if there is a way of allowing it?

The estate dictates what happens to the money. If the state wants the money in a trust, then that is where it goes.

If there was no will the estate has to go through probate and a judge decides what to do. You don't automatically have a say in the matter. Let the money stay in a savings accounts - they will need it when they turn 18 more than they need it now.

The estate dictates the conditions underwhich the money is distributed.

Consider this cash a good start to a college fund.

Quite common for judges to require the monies placed in trust until the age of majority