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Arkansas Probate Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: I need to know if I can file for a change of venue on a Arkansas probate case
Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Mar 17, 2023

Probably not unless you can show the Court that it lacks subject matter jurisdiction in the first place. An ancillary administration might be needed.

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: What happens to an estate if will isn't probated within the time allotted.
Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Oct 3, 2022

Decedent's Assets are owned by his Heirs At Law (real property) and Next Of Kin (personal property). Probably need an AR attorney to search the title and advise who owns what.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: What inheritance rights does one have if your civil partner dies.

Person lived with partner for 14 years but never married.

Donna Branch
Donna Branch
answered on Aug 15, 2022

More details would be needed because this is not a clear cut answer. I can say Arkansas does not recognize common law marriage. However, I wouldn't give up just yet. It depends on when the property was acquired (during the 14 years or after). Did your partner have a will? Do your partner have... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: I have had a separate maintenance agreement with my husband since 2007. When he dies what are my responsibilities?
Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Apr 26, 2022

If he dies with you still being his spouse, then you are a Heir and Next of Kin. No responsibilities, just rights as the surviving spouse.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Probate and Real Estate Law for Arkansas on
Q: How to transfer land title ownership when owner passed 30 yrs prior without will and no probate in Arkansas

Hi my grandmother passed away back in 1993. My father her eldest son moved in her home and lived there for 24-25 yrs until his death in 2014. He never probated property due to being unable to locate her will. However, the whole time he lived on property he did perform upgrades by adding a pond and... View More

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Apr 11, 2022

You will need to hire an attorney to determine Heirship as the Heirs own the land a Tenants In Common. Then an Affidavit of Heirship will need to be recorded. And someone still needs to pay taxes.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law, Elder Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Does a financial POA cease after death? If Will created 12 yrs prior to POA anything in POA supercede it

Will was created with a trust to be established and a bank named as trustee due to possible mental capabilities of only child. However full financial POA was given to only child 12 years after said will was created but never introduced to the courts. POA was registered with circuit court clerk... View More

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Apr 1, 2022

It is not possible to give you definitive answers without reviewing the actual instruments to which you refer. Sometimes people mischaracterize documents because they do not understand what they actually are.

As a general rule, however, POAs expire at the death of the principal, and...
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1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Do I need to probate household items if I own the house?

My aunt sold me her house in 2016, but still lived in it until her death this year. Do the household items need to be probated or are they mine since I’ve owned the house since 2016?

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Jan 26, 2022

Contents of a house are separate from the house. IF your aunt still owned the contents when she died, then they are part of her probate estate.

I put "IF" in capital letters because that is a missing fact. Did she own them? Or did she sell them to you with the house? You...
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2 Answers | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Person named in will as executor of will refuses to probate will, what can the beneficiaries do to get will probated
Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Nov 29, 2021

You can petition to be appointed as executor of the estate yourself. A probate attorney can help you with this.

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2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Collections, Elder Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: My grandfather passed away last year. My mother is executor of his estate. My grandmother is alive. He had a will.

I was supposed to receive an inheritance. My mother claims that I cannot receive that until my grandmother passes away. My brother received a new truck and boat that I’m aware of. Is she lying to me ? I have a distant relationship with my mom, but it just seems as though she is flat out lying to... View More

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Nov 26, 2021

You can take a look at the will yourself. Go to the probate court and request a copy.

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3 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: What does it mean when a realtor says the estate hired them to sell my house
Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Nov 11, 2021

It probably means that you do not own the home. It is owned by the estate of someone who has passed and either his or her will requires the house to be sold or it needs to be sold to pay his or her debts. A local probate attorney can help you with this.

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1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Parents died and left a home. There is not a will. We pay taxes on the home. Do we have to go to probate court?

We need to insure the house but there is no legal owner. How can we gain ownership of home?

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Aug 26, 2021

If the Parents actually owned the property, then one or both Parents' Heirs At Law own the property now. Hire a competent attorney to search the title and draft/execute an Affidavit of Heirship. When recorded that will be the heirs' source of title.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Real Estate Law, Civil Litigation and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: If a couple bought a house 34 years ago and husband died 33 years ago. The wife never remarried. Is it her house?

The husband did not have a will. And it never went through probate. But she never took his name off of the house. The wife recently died with one surviving son, who has and was living in the house for 27 out of 34 years. And now the husband's children want there part of the house. She also... View More

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Aug 17, 2021

More than likely the wife took the fee as the surviving tenant by the entirety, which would mean her heirs own it as tenants in common. But it all depends on what estate was created when they purchased it. Hire a competent AR attorney to search the title.

2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Wife not beneficiary on husbands ESOP, can she challenge it?

My mother isn't listed as a beneficiary on my deceased father's ESOP, as stated by the company. Before he passed he told her that she was over everything. The company has not been very straightforward with us and she wants to try to challenge the beneficiary designation.Is there a certain... View More

Dustin A. Duke
Dustin A. Duke
answered on Aug 8, 2021

More information is needed in order to fully answer your question. However, if there is no beneficiary listed on the account, and the company has no policy to the contrary, then the assets would go into your father's probate estate and would need to be probated before they can be distributed... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law, Tax Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: There exists property owned by 2 families. 1 family has never paid taxes. A prospective buyer made an offer to purchase.

Many members of the family who doesn't pay taxes cannot be located. How can this be sold with a clear lien so that the taxpaying family can proceed with the sale? The offer was made in 2020.

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on May 26, 2021

You might have to file an Action for a Partition Sale. Hire a competent AR attorney to prosecute this Action which will probably involve some service by publication. The taxes paid might be recovered as contributions, but do not count on it.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: My mother had a revocable trust listing only myself as beneficiary, but having issues transferring assets.

How do i transfer the titles of her assets; homestead, bank accounts, etc. Some titles have transferred (automatically?) , but some have not. I thought probate court was avoided by having a rev. trust. Any help would be appreciated.

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on May 19, 2021

Assets that were in the trust when she died pass according to the terms of the trust. Assets that were not in the trust pass according to the terms of the will using the probate process. What you seem to have is a partially unfounded trust, which is less than ideal because it does not completely... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Can my family go to probate court again to have an administrator appointed after the death of our administrator?

My grandfather died in 1983 and subsequently our probate court appointed administrator (my uncle) has since died over ten years ago, in 2010.

Don Spears
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answered on Apr 7, 2021

Yes. You will need to file a petition to appoint a substitute administrator.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: How can I get legal transfer of diseased mother's home.

My mother passed away in 2008 without a will. I had 1 brother and 1 sister at that time. We peacefully divided all of her belongings. Her home had a loan on it and neither of my siblings wanted to assume the loan or fix the home and sell it. They both provided a letter stating they had no interest... View More

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Mar 5, 2021

You will need to hire a competent attorney to determine heirship, as the Mother's heirs probably own the property. Then record an Affidavit of Heirship. Finally ask the other heirs to quit claim deed their interests to you with the Affidavit listed in the derivation clauses as their source... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Can a Grantor on a quitclaim deed also be the Grantee?

My father died without a will and my Sister and I are the only heirs. We have filed for collection of small estate and our 90 days are up. One of the properties is still in my great aunt and her partner's name and has passed through a couple of family members that were ill and was never deeded... View More

Paul Dumas
Paul Dumas
answered on Nov 18, 2020

Sounds like you have a complex title issue that needs to be reviewed by a competent attorney or title company. Your question simply doesn’t provide the information necessary to give you an accurate answer.

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2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Can a Grantor on a quitclaim deed also be the Grantee?

My father died without a will and my Sister and I are the only heirs. We have filed for collection of small estate and our 90 days are up. One of the properties is still in my great aunt and her partner's name and has passed through a couple of family members that were ill and was never deeded... View More

Paul Dumas
Paul Dumas
answered on Nov 18, 2020

Sounds like you have a complex title issue that needs to be reviewed by a competent attorney or title company. Your question simply doesn’t provide the information necessary to give you an accurate answer.

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Arkansas on
Q: Does a Letter of Administration give immediate access to deceased personal bank acct without probate or small estate?

My dad died almost a month ago without a will. His estranged wife isn't communicating with me about the affairs of his estate since we received death certificates. They were separated (not legally) and had not lived together for 5 years. His personal bank account was solely in his name and had... View More

Brandon M Haubert
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Brandon M Haubert
answered on Nov 3, 2020

You need to open a probate. You will most likely need the court to render a decision on who gets the money and probably go through the discovery process to figure out what happened with the money. The small estate affidavit process does not work in contested matters. She may have already filed a... View More

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