Q: If you have very little money to pay for probate process, what options are available?
Yes. We tentatively signed up with an estate law firm and were told we'd have to wait a full year to get anything from my sister's estate.
Then, when I prodded, they admitted they might be able to give a "partial distribution" All this leaves me with many questions like: Who has ultimate control here? Can the executor say: We need money and we still feel we can pay debts off without law firm telling us what to do?
A: Estate administration is an area of practice specialty and practitioners advise as to the law and also based on their familiarity with problems that can occur along the way. It is best practice not to make any payouts in distribution until the extent of the estate's liabilities is fully known and there is a statute of limitations governing the time frame for creditors to make claims and there are also considerations as to MassHealth liens and tax liens. Trust your attorney or find another one!
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