Petersburg, MI asked in Probate for South Carolina

Q: Can I open probate for property in which my recently deceased brother was a joint tenant with no rights of survivorship?

My brother passed away and had no will. He jointly owned property with his ex-girlfriend who keeps giving away his assets instead of using them to pay his debts and reimburse my sisters and I for funeral costs. Can opening probate prevent her from doing anything else?

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer
Nina Whitehurst
PREMIUM
Nina Whitehurst pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
Answered
  • Probate Lawyer
  • Crossville, TN

A: You can open probate and you should. Once you are appointed as the administrator of your brother's estate you will have the legal authority to demand the return of property that has been stolen from his estate.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.