Yes, if you open an account with the check in hand, payable to you as trustee, then you can simply deposit it into the account and nothing else need be done--no other paperwork required. Once deposited, you may not withdraw any funds before the minor turns 18 unless you first obtain a court order... View More

A lawyer would have to look at your grandfather’s will to ascertain how the house was to be distributed to you and your mom, as well as review the deed to the house to see whether it was titled in accordance with your grandfather’s will. Assuming that your name is on the deed together with your... View More

Probate estates are opened in the jurisdiction where the deceased person died. You can find out whether an estate has been opened by contacting the Register of Wills (or going to the Register of Wills' website and performing a search with the deceased person's name).

Under Estates Code 17-110, a Maryland power of attorney under the statutory provisions must be (1) notarized and (2) signed by and before two witnesses. The Notary may also sign as one of the two witnesses in addition to signing as a notary. A lawyer may act as a witness.

If you were appointed as his PR, why do you need to be “reinstated”? Either you are the PR, or you’re not. Only the PR can claim funds due to your father, as those funds are assets of his estate. It is irrelevant that you are his sole beneficiary. Hire an estate lawyer to assist you in... View More

You probably ought to pay someone to review the actual trust, because some trust purposes can be undercut by the beneficiaries due to changes circumstances, but there is nothing fundamentally problematic with a trust holding property perpetually. A grant of property must resolve title within 21... View More

If someone dies with property titled in their sole name, then yes, an estate should be opened. Very generally speaking family has no obligation to open an estate (unless they are the named personal representative in a will) but it is usually in their interests to do so.

A reverse... View More

You really need counsel if a spouse elects against the Will, but, generally, spousal share trumps the Will as to the spouse, who takes only through the election, and the rest and remainder goes according to the Will. The computation sometimes get hairy.

I am sorry to hear about the passing of your father and grandmother. You have presented some bare facts but not really a question. If your grandmother and father had valid Wills, their estates would be distributed according to the provisions of their Wills. If neither had a Will, just based on... View More

Try to find a lawyer in the jurisdiction where the estate is filed, for convenience. Most estate lawyers understand special needs trusts. You cannot solicit (and attorneys cannot solicit) business on this site per the site rules. You can, however, call lawyers who answer questions on this site,... View More

Get counsel. File petition to list and sell house in the form of Sale in Lieu of Partition.

The recording office of the county where you file will know and allow you to fill in the cited section that applies. They are the authority who has to approve whether you have a tax exempt transfer. However, the list of exempt transactions generally appears in the Maryland Tax-Property Article,... View More

Under federal law, family members inheriting property may be able to simply take over the mortgage payments instead of refinancing in certain situations. However, whether that is feasible depends on other factors, such as buy-out ability. If the property remains in Trust, it is sometimes... View More

No. But a guardian may be able to make other estate planning decisions, including establishing a trust in the name of their ward and funding it, with distribution of the trust assets upon death being set forth in the trust. You should not do anything without first consulting with experienced estate... View More

If you are domiciled in Maryland at the time of your death, die without a will and an estate is opened up here, your probate property passes under the laws of intestate succession. Who gets the probate property and in what percentage depends on what relatives survive you.

Some property... View More

Only the decedent's spouse, parent, grandparent, child, or descendant of the decedent's child (or their surviving spouse) qualify for the exemption from Maryland's state inheritance tax of 10% ("lineal" relatives). First cousin is not "lineal" does not meet the... View More

Once you have filed the petition for probate, received your Letters, and have filed the Inventory, you can do an advance to the heirs. Since you are the only heir, that would mean you. But, you will be responsible if your advance exceeds the available resources of the Estate after payment of... View More

She can only claim $15,000 plus 50% of everything else. The rest goes to his children in equal shares. However, any assets that were jointly titled may go 100% to the surviving owner. That includes real estate, financial accounts, etc. Also, assets like 401Ks, IRA accounts, etc., have named... View More

It’s simply a vehicle to hold assets coupled with an agreement on how to manage and distribute the assets given various scenarios. It is not typically part of an estate plan for most people, as there are usually far better methods. As far as how any particular strategy best relates to your... View More

She should not have any assets in her name or jointly with yours. You should establish a special needs trust to hold any assets you leave her in your will. That will protect the assets from disqualifying her from her benefits, while at the same time preserving the assets for her benefit and needs.