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In 2013, my father passed away, and his will was never put into probate. The will named four beneficiaries: my mother, myself, and my two brothers, with each of us entitled to a specific property upon my mother's passing. While my mother resides in the home I was set to inherit, she now... View More 
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answered on Mar 6, 2025
If the will was never filed for probate, then it has no effect. Consult with a VA attorney to see if filing the will as a muniment of title is a viable action here, or whether present heirship should be determined and placed of record as a source of title.
I rented the upstairs of a house from June 2022 until February 2025, with the homeowner living downstairs. The homeowner died in September 2024 without a will, and the house went to the next of kin. In January 2025, I was informed the house would be foreclosed, and we had about three weeks to move... View More
I need guidance on quieting title and transferring a deceased husband's property to his family, who are the co-heirs. The widow inherited the husband's share and died intestate with no living offspring known. Her only offspring predeceased her, and it's unknown if there were any... View More
answered on Mar 1, 2025
You need to map out the family tree of the wife carefully, so you need a consult with a lawyer and, possibly, a genealogical expert. Unless some estate planning was done, it seems unlikely anything goes to husband’s descendants, but you might get a fee for acting as Administrator if you can qualify.
My mother set up a gift deed in my name for her house before she passed away. My brother is named as the executor of her estate. We do not get along well. I want to know if there is any way he could change the deed or take the house away from me after her death, even though the gift deed was made... View More
answered on Feb 17, 2025
If the Deed was duly recorded and your mother had the requisite mental acuity to execute the Deed, you should be fine. However, it would help to know the exact type of Deed that was recorded and when it was recorded. For instance, if it was a Revocable of Death Deed and did not get recorded prior... View More
answered on Dec 30, 2024
The cause of death is not material. If you are the closest relative, as in this case might be if your sibling had no issue (including adoptees) or living parents, you are the most eligible to probate the sibling's estate. You have no duty to do this, and you might decline if the sibling had no... View More
1 sibling passed away leaving 3 children. Is the estate then split (2 siblings = 66%) and (3 children sharing the remaining 33%)? There is no will.
answered on Dec 4, 2024
Your question is not clear; I see two possibilities.
1) Parent (P) dies without a will, no spouse surviving. P had three children (A, B & C) ; one of the three children (C) died leaving three children of their own (M, N & O). A & B each get 1/3 of the estate; M, N & O get... View More
No house or vehicles. Just furniture, life insurance worth $60,000, bank account approx $3,000, liabilities approx $3,000. I am one of three executors in South Africa, Ireland, and the US respectively. One of us will be travelling to the US at whenever seems the best time.
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answered on Nov 1, 2024
My condolences on the passing of your friend or family member. One of the primary purposes of creating a revocable living trust is that the trustmaker can dispose of assets upon his/her death and avoid probate. In order to successfully by pass probate, (1) the trust must have been valid and (2)... View More
I do not live in the area where the will is needing to be probated.
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answered on Sep 29, 2024
Will has no effect unless filed for Probate, so hire a competent VA attorney.
I contacted the law firm that created the will and know the lawyer. I was told they would call me right back and haven't heard anything. My brother and I are the only surviving relatives. I wanted to if I had the right to see the will. There is also the question of what happens if it was... View More
answered on Sep 27, 2024
One way for a testator to revoke a will is through physical obliteration - tearing it up, marking through it, burning it, etc. Many lawyers will not keep an original will because it would deprive the testator of the ability to revoke a will in this manner. Instead, the lawyer or law firm may make... View More
Joint Owner 1 and Joint Owner 2 own Account A (with rights of survivorship).
Joint Owner 2 and Joint Owner 3 own Account B.
JO1 dies. JO2 has access to all the funds in Account A without going through probate.
JO2 can move funds from Account A into Account B. JO3 now has... View More
uncle is saying all of my deceased dad’s belongings are his
answered on Aug 27, 2024
You need to sit down with a lawyer experienced in Virginia probate law to review the Will, if any, the property deeds, if any, the family tree, and the other assets your father owned. If your father had a wife or children and no Will, his brother is not in his intestate succession. But, if you let... View More
My mother passed away 10 years ago with no will. She had married a man with children and together they had brought a home. The deed of trust is in both names and listed as tenants by the entireties with the right of survivorship. The husband is now dead. Are ONLY his children entitled to the... View More
answered on Sep 4, 2024
When a Virginia resident dies intestate - without a will - property may pass through nonprobate transfers, such as survivorship, POD account beneficiaries, TOD account beneficiaries, retirement plan beneficiaries, or other nonprobate measures, or according to the law of intestacy in Virginia, which... View More
answered on Jul 11, 2024
You and her two daughters should be able to sell the home when probate is complete. The administrator of your wife's estate may also be able to sell it with a court order and distribute the proceeds to you and the two daughters.
Dementia. Her stepdaughter and stepdaughter’s husband secured an online will and filled it out for her, then had her sign it. They also secured two witnesses who both testified to only seeing her once a year. The will was not signed in the presence of the testator. Two different locations are... View More
answered on Jun 19, 2024
Sounds like you need to consult with a West Virginia lawyer.
Seller bought the car and I’m trying to give them the title without meeting them in person
answered on May 4, 2024
A Virginia attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a week. You could look into sending it certified mail. Also check with the local office of your DMV. Their website might offer more complete info about vehicle forms. Good luck
If I was deed certain parcels of a property but they also will the entire property to someone else ( I assume this world be including my parcels considering it’s all one address) how does this work? Would I have to create a new address to live on my property or is that even possible?? What does... View More
answered on Apr 17, 2024
Your question is not clear as to what you are asking, so I am going to guess that you are asking if someone can devise (gift) real estate under a Will, when part of the real estate was subdivided with several parcels being conveyed out during the decedent' lifetime. The Will can effectively... View More
Judge requests that I (only living heir) purchase a probate bond costing $8-10K. Judge said bond was needed to protect the other heirs in case I ran off with the shares of stock. However, it appears that Missouri law DOES NOT RECOGNIZE nieces & nephews as valid next of kin unless there are... View More
answered on Mar 8, 2024
If the level of the heirs at law gets to siblings, then nieces and nephews of deceased siblings (and even great nieces and nephews, if applicable), become heirs at law.
A man and a women get married, joining each other with 1 child each from a previous marriage. Together they have 1 child together. Over 30 years pass and the mother dies suddenly without a will. Father gets everything. Father remarries someone from a foreign country, she has two adult children and... View More
answered on Mar 6, 2024
First of all, if the first wife in your questions dies without a will in Virginia, the laws of intestate succession govern the distribution of her probate assets. In this case, the husband would receive one-third (not including potential spousal claims) and all of the children of the wife would... View More
My mother has moved to a senior living home and needs to sell her house. She is coowner (60%) along with 5 of her children. The sale cannot go forward since one of the children died last year and his will presumably naming his wife as executrix is hung up in probate court in the US Virgin... View More
answered on Feb 8, 2024
With the issue of the one child's estate being hung up in probate in the Virgin Islands and not knowing the terms of the child's last will and testament, you only course of action may be to contact a local attorney where the property is located and file a suit for partition. The court... View More
As the husband of the decedent, I am the only person in the estate.
answered on Feb 6, 2024
Generally speaking, the Executor or the Administrator of a decedent's estate is responsible for the debts of the estate, assuming the estate has sufficient assets to pay the claims. Virginia Code Section 64.2-528 provides the order of priority when paying debts.
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