I have been paying on a life insurance policy for my great uncle for over 20 years and am listed as the beneficiary, does this policy have to be listed in the probate proceedings?
Not strictly speaking. Life insurance passes outside of probate. That said, the proceeds will probably need to be listed on the estate tax return. The proceeds may be included in your great uncle's estate, but unless the total is over 9.1 million (for 2022), no estate tax will be owed.
I didn't think so but then I came across this Thompson Reuters doc https://www.cl-law.com/uploads/Revocable-Trusts-Connecticut-w-010-5933.pdf (written by CT lawyers) that says that a revocable trust does need to be witnessed in CT if it "conveys real property (Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. §... Read more »
Very often after a revocable trust is created (or at the same time) the grantor who sets up the trust will transfer his or her house to the trust via a deed. It is unusual, very unusual, for the trust itself to convey real property.
So assuming you follow the procedure of setting up the... Read more »
Some trucks and don’t know where the titles are.He didn’t really tell use much.What would be the next step?
You will need to petition the probate court for what is called intestate administration. That is what the process is called when someone dies without a will. Since his solely owned assets are more than $40,000, you won't be able to file a short form probate (called an affidavit in lieu of... Read more »
I also have a car under my husband name
You may not need a full probate process, but you will have to submit an estate tax return to show the estate is not taxable. Only estates over $7.1 million are taxable in Connecticut. You may be able to file what is called an affidavit in lieu of administration instead of full probate to transfer... Read more »
I will. have this form notarized with two witnesses. Do I still need to go to a lawyer.? Thank you for your time
You should be all set. Just make sure you understand that the initial powers, usually on the first page, are all included unless you cross them out, but the optional estate planning powers are not included unless you initial next to them to add them in.
I am the administrator of my brother's estate who died in Feb. 2020. It went through the probate process last year and late in March the court held a hearing on the required financial report which was approved. This allows me to now distribute the estate to the heirs. A few days after the... Read more »
In Connecticut, if a claim is not presented to the fiduciary within 150 days from the date of the fiduciary's appointment, the fiduciary is not personally chargeable for any assets (i) paid in satisfaction of any lawful claims, expenses or taxes, or (ii) distributed to any beneficiaries,... Read more »
My father was unexpectedly admitted to a skilled nursing facility after falling ill last year. He will need to remain their for the long term and we are now going through the Medicaid application as Medicare has stopped coverage for this service. We will have to spend down some of his money to... Read more »
Yes, those items can be purchased as part of the spend down.
The fee is not necessarily determined by how simple or complicated the split is. It is impossible for anyone to give you an accurate estimate without knowing the number, nature and value of the assets. I've handled "simple" estates, that end up being very complicated. Most lawyers... Read more »
Due to a sudden illness, my father was admitted to a skilled nursing facility in late 2020. His Medicare eligibility is now lapsing and I need a Power of Attorney agreement to assist with his Medicaid enrollment, funeral planning, managing of finances, etc. Due to Covid restrictions, his facility... Read more »
Because of COVID, there is an executive order which suspends the witness requirement on all instruments which need to be notarized, except for wills. So, you are in luck. There no witnesses required. That said, it can't hurt to have your sister and her husband sign as witnesses. Or... Read more »
-My mother passed away on tuesday, and upon talking to her doctor he expressed she was in good health aside from hypertension and gallbladder issues. I was not contacted asking if i wanted a autopsy and he himself was not. she received the covid vaccine two days prior to her passing so i feel as... Read more »
First off, I am sorry for your loss. The loss of a parent leaves a huge whole in one's heart. The State of Connecticut requires that the Medical Examiner examine deaths due to accident, homicide, suicide, and unknown causes, specifically "sudden or unexpected deaths not caused by... Read more »
My husband is executor of my mothers will, however a check made out to me (as I was the beneficiary of an account) arrived. He wants to deposit it into an estate account along with checks from another account that is part of the estate so that he can distribute evenly between me and my sisters,... Read more »
I wouldn't say you are wrong. If you are the beneficiary on the account, that money is yours. That being said, if your mother's wishes were for "everything" to be divided equally, you have moral, and possibly a legal, duty to include the money from that account as party of the... Read more »
He is 34 y.o and marginally employed (at best) We support him 100% financially and that is putting us in a hard place. The income generated by this trust is not enough to support us as my husband 70 y.o.retired , I am 61 and have a low paying job and we have a 17 y.o. daughter who wants to go to... Read more »
To answer your question, we would need to review the trust agreement itself. It really depends on the language used in the document. My guess is that your son should be able to get money from the trust, but without reviewing the document it's impossible to say.
My brother passed away last year and did not have a will. The case is currently in CT probate court. There is a surviving brother and myself, no spouse, parents or children. I am also the administrator for his probate case. Can a 401K and HSA distribution be added to the established estate bank... Read more »
Yes, the proceeds from the 401k and HSA can, and should, be added to the estate checking account. Keep in mind, there will be income taxes due on both distributions. Those assets will then be distributed to your brothers heirs as determined by the CT intestacy statute.
The step-daughter will not inherit money for herself, but rather the money will (or should) go to her mother. As the POA, the step-daughter has a duty to use the money for her mother's benefit, but we all know that doesn't always happen.
I am single, age 70, no children or partner. I have 1 brother and no close relatives but 1 nephew who I do not want to inherit from me. I own a home and property. I wanted to leave my house and property to charity but if I die before my brother I did want him to benefit from proceeds of the... Read more »
A living trust would be a good option. For one thing, a trust is a private document, and is generally harder to challenge than a will. By avoiding probate with a trust, you make it more difficult for your nephew challenge your plan or have money go to him through your brother. Your brother could... Read more »
I was just appointed administrator to my dads estate. I've had to prematurely remove all assets left at my dad's property do to my brother taking the majority of high priced belongings. None of the assets are in my dads name. But I have been verbally threatened by my half brother which... Read more »
As the administrator, your first job is to secure the assets in the estate. This means all assets, including tangible personal property (the stuff in his house, art work, furniture, jewelry, etc) which are owned solely by your father. You should also demand that your brother return any asset he... Read more »
All assets were joint or designated via trust. Probate charged base fee plus .5% of taxable estate.
Yes, even though the court doesn't do much, when the tax return is filed to clear any possible lien on the property, the court will assess the probate fee.
I went and got a copy of my dads probate papers. They said both my brother and my name on papers. The estate said there was $30,990. My brother paid my dads furneral $13,000. He kept the balance for himself. He was suppose to split with me. Like I said he passed away a month ago. I didn't know... Read more »
Yes, you have a claim against your brother's estate. Probate court where you father died should have copies of the various filings in your father's estate. They should show the amount you were entitled to and then you'd have to prove he kept that money and didn't pay it out to... Read more »
My husband was the executor of the estate, however he was unable to continue, as he became ill. Then, his sister became the executor of estate. Both parents and all siblings were named beneficiaries to the estate. There has been a wrongful death lawsuit going on and is now in the process of... Read more »
First, my heart goes out to you in this difficult time.
Now to answer the question. You and/or your daughter should be entitled to your husband's share of his brother's estate. Your husband was alive at the time of his brother's death, so he (or in this case his estate)... Read more »
My brother just received POA for my 82 year old mother. We have searched for an assisted living facility and found one that will cater to her needs and income (approx $3,000 per month). He unilaterally decided to place her in a more expensive facility ($4,300 per month) and draw down on her assets... Read more »
This is an interesting question. A POA authorizes another person to handle financial affairs, as opposed to personal decisions, such as where to live. You could go to court and ask to be appointed the conservator of the person (as opposed to the estate) and then you'd have the power to... Read more »
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