Father died 7 yrs ago, only found out about it 2 yrs ago due to the back executor trying to filing the will with the county. I was left 10% of the assets, but since the will was never properly probated, am I entitled to an equal share (25%) since there are 4 heirs?
answered on Dec 17, 2020
You're mostly correct. The standard period for probate is 4 years. However, if the proponent of the Will can show that he/she is "not in default" for failing to probate the Will within 4 years, then the court can allow the Will to be probated after the 4-year deadline.
So,... View More 
My grandmother left my uncle to live in her estate until he passes and gave the house to my sisters and I. What are his rights as a life estate tenant and our rights ?
answered on Nov 10, 2020
It would be a good idea to have a lawyer look at the document that gives your uncle a life estate. This is because a "life estate" can be tailored several different ways. Some life estates terminate if the life tenant moves out. Others don't terminate until the life tenant dies.... View More
My common-law husband died after surgery. He had given me durable POA and I am sole beneficiary of his estate. He had just gotten his inheritance check from the sale of his mother's property but hadn't signed it. I can't probate the will until I get a death certificate but want... View More
answered on Oct 24, 2020
You don't need to wait on the death certificate to get started with the probate process. Go ahead and contact a probate attorney to get that process started.
You may be allowed by your spouse's bank to deposit the check into his account, but maybe not. It's worth a try! If... View More
My daughter is executor of my mothers estate in Texas.
she has failed to provide accounting and also has failed to
distribute the assets to beneficiaries
answered on Oct 9, 2020
Our law office has a letter we send that requests an accounting. Under Texas Law, if you don't receive a satisfactory response within the allotted time, then the judge can order that that all of the assets be distributed and/or order that the executor be removed.
My father in law passed away in June 2020. My husband has presented all documentation to the bank within 2 weeks of his dad's passing. However, the bank keeps giving him the runaround. The bank won't provide any information as to any of his dad's accounts or when they will be... View More
answered on Sep 25, 2020
I can imagine that there could be one of two problems:
First, it could be that the bank requires "letters testamentary" or a "small estate affidavit." These can be required by the bank, and you can only get them by going to probate court. If your father in law had a... View More
our names. All the children are grown and out of the house. There was no will. How do I get the properties in my name?
answered on Sep 19, 2020
In your questions, you state there was no will. So, you have two options. If you're going to hang on to the properties, the cheaper option is called an "affidavit of heirship." If you want to sell within the next five years or so, it might be better to do the title transfer the... View More
answered on Sep 16, 2020
I agree with Ms. Garrett. Your grandmother could sign a deed, which would transfer the house to you. A "Ladybird" deed is often recommended in your grandmother's situation. Also, if she doesn't already have a will, she should have a will. In her will, she can leave the house... View More
answered on Aug 17, 2020
It depends on the deed. Did the deed say they were "joint tenants with rights of survivorship"? If yes, then second-person-to-die's estate owns all of the property. If not, then each half would go to the respective persons' heirs (or will beneficiaries, if they have wills).
answered on Aug 5, 2020
This is called "probate with will annexed." You can still have an administrator appointed, but you'll need an attorney if you want an administrator. If you don't want or need an administrator, then you can do a "probate as muniment of title only." With muniment of... View More
When I die can I create a will appointing a close friend to be my daughter's guardian/caregiver when I'm gone? Will my daughter's father have any say so to whom is her caregiver? Thanks
answered on Jul 27, 2020
Yes, you can. You also should establish a trust in your will for your daughter. You need to do this so that your daughter doesn't lose her governmental benefits... We don't charge anything extra for adding this type of trust into our clients' wills.
My father is 98 and in a nursing home. He has always been adamant that his house would go to his children. Now his wife, who has insisted for years that he Has dementia, has gotten him to give her the house. What is our recourse?
answered on Jul 17, 2020
You should definitely do something. You'll want to get an attorney that does guardianship and also estates law.
If he allegedly gave the wife the house with a deed, then you will need to do something now. If he allegedly gives her the house in the will, then you may have to wait... View More
I am filing to be Executor and received a huge bill from criminal attorney (hired in error by my nephew to help with probate). Most charges are after my nephew's death and no contract. Doesn't the lawyer's obligation terminate upon client's death?
In Texas.
Thank you
answered on Jun 28, 2020
You are required to have an attorney to probate the will and to become the executor. Your probate attorney should be able to easily help you with this. The probate attorney will probably advise you to send the criminal attorney a "permissive creditor notice." Then, even if the criminal... View More
answered on Jun 4, 2020
No, not if you were "joint tenants with right of survivorship" on the account. You can ask the bank, and they should tell you. If you're not, then the account probably belongs to the Estate.
We do not call each other husband and wife, no paperwork except an old rent agreement in both of our names.
Main concern is can my partner get any sort of support from me if we do split up?
Thank you
answered on May 27, 2020
YES! You should have at least a basic will. In all wills we prepare at our law office, we put in a little clause about marital status. This one sentence could save your heirs lots of expense and hassle. You should also consider a cohabitation agreement. Also, I notice you're in PA.... View More
If I leave her everything except $2milion to 3 children, is all still free of estate tax?
answered on May 15, 2020
I agree with the prior answers. The short answer to your question is "YES," you can do this without estate tax. However, it wouldn't be automatic. You definitely need an estate planning attorney in your area to get this drawn up correctly. Doing so could literally save millions of dollars.
..died last yr and willed his 1/2 to 1 son only. How soon after her death could Gmoms estate be finalized and her half of land be distributed to kids? Did we have to wait until grandpa died to split all the land up and distribute to aires?
answered on May 5, 2020
Sounds like everything is ready to be distributed now. In cases like these, I think it's important to move quickly to protect your inheritance rights. There are deadlines for probating wills. Probate is the process of validating the will by a judge. This must be done for title purposes.... View More
I have affidavits of heirship, and POA from 4 of my 5 siblings (heirs). There is one heir in Jail. He was living in the house with mom when she died 6 years ago. She had no will, so he was squatting and turned it into a drug house. We missed probate. He's now been in jail a year. His drug... View More
answered on Apr 29, 2020
If you do find a will, you have 4 years to probate. If there's no will, then you will need to go to probate court to get an "administrator" appointed by the judge. The administrator will have the power to sell the home. The cost of going to court can be reimbursed from the sale of... View More
After my mother passed I found out that she created a trust.. Since she passed, the trustee has also passed and the firm no longer operates under the same name and I was wondering how do I go about locating these documents and who do I contact now that the trustee it's deceased also.
answered on Apr 23, 2020
If you contact a probate attorney in your area, he/she can email the local law firms to see if anyone had your mother's file. If not, then you can operate as if there's no trust document. This would mean that your mother's heirs inherit the trust assets. Assuming she wasn't... View More
answered on Apr 21, 2020
Definitely maybe. If he had no will, had more than $75,000, and owed less than $75,000 in creditor claims, then you could probably use a "Small Estate Affidavit." If he had a will, that's the way to go. If he had no will but he has more than $75,000, then you will do a... View More
answered on Mar 29, 2020
Yes, there are. However, the legal ramifications are not insurmountable.
So, the typical deadline for probating a will in Texas is four years. However, you can probate the will as a "muniment of title" beyond the four-year deadline. Depending on your local probate court,... View More
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