Q: Dad died, left a simple will naming my mother as executor and the recipient, basically just a house in the estate.
Estate worth less than $100,000, and maybe under $50k.Do we need to go through probate or how do we handle this simple transaction?
A: Unless the house was owned by your father and mother as joint tenants with right of survivorship, and all other property was owned so that it passed directly to your mother (e.g., a joint bank account), then a probate proceeding would be necessary to transfer the property owned solely by your father to your mother. There are at least a couple of options as to what type of probate proceeding should be used. I recommend that your mother consult with a qualified probate attorney to determine what must be done. The attorney would need to have additional information about your father's estate to properly advise your mother.
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