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Alabama Probate Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My mother died without a will but with hospice bill. I do not want inheritance rights to home. How do I disclaim?

Hospice bill exceeds home value. My brother passed last month. Leaving me and sister. I did not keep close ties to anyone once I left for military service. I want nothing to do with property. How do I disclaim in writing? What facts do I state ? My Sister can have my share.

Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Jul 26, 2023

Hospice bills are not subject to estate recovery, but Medicaid bills are. Make sure you understand exactly which program was paying for her care.

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Alabama on
Q: In Alabama, will the value of an estate continue to change +/- while in intestate probate until the estate is settled?

There are several business in this estate that are still operating and generating cash flow. If the business continue to do well will the value of the estate continue to increase until the estate is finally settled in probate?

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Jul 11, 2023

Yes that often happens. If beneficiaries of the Estate take fractions, then as of the Order of Distribution date, the assets are distributed. The new owners take their share at that time.

2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Alabama on
Q: If you are on your single parents bank accounts in Alabama and they pass away, do you have control of their estate?
Nina Whitehurst
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answered on Jul 9, 2023

Your statement of facts does not contain enough information to answer your question.

When you say you are "on" your parent's bank accounts, exactly what do you mean by "on"?

Are you a tenant in common? Joint tenant with right of survivorship? Attorney in...
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3 Answers | Asked in Probate for Alabama on
Q: My Husband passed away in July 2022 with a will made to me, his spouse, I was wondering if his will needs to be probated
John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Jun 5, 2023

It depends on the nature and extent of your husband's estate. If your husband only owned only personal property like clothes, furniture, and household items, you may not need to probate his estate. On the other hand, if he owned real estate, stocks, bonds, automobiles, or anything else with... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My father in law just passed away. He set it up to where on his death his 1.5 acres with his house and another

Unattached 50 acres were automatically deeded to my husband and his sister. He had a mortgage. The sister says she wants nothing to do with the house or land so my husband asked her to sign a quit claim deed so that the bank will let him redo the mortgage and pay it off. She says that it has to go... View More

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on May 1, 2023

Your statements do not make sense. However a possible solution is have an AL attorney search the title, and draft a Quit Claim Deed for the one or two tracts to be conveyed from the Sister to your Husband. Sister would not have any financial or legal obligations.

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Alabama on
Q: What is the next action to take if one heir of seven heirs to an intestate estate in AL refuses to sign Letters of Admin

To petition the court to appoint one named heir to be administrator of the intestate estate?

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Apr 5, 2023

Whoever wants to be the Administrator should file the Probate action and ask the Court to appoint him Administrator. All interested parties should be served so they can object. Hire an AL attorney as Probate can require complicated pleadings.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Alabama on
Q: I was named in my grandfather's will and his wife is taking it to probate court why would I have to sign something
John Michael Frick
John Michael Frick
answered on Mar 20, 2023

Because you are named in your grandfather's will.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Alabama on
Q: if you set up a transfer upon death deed will that avoid probate

want to leave my house to my daughter in alabama

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Mar 20, 2023

You probably want an AL attorney to draft an enforceable Life Estate/Remainder Deed.

1 Answer | Asked in Land Use & Zoning and Probate for Alabama on
Q: If I want to put a well and home on the land that my father willed to me and my siblings do I need their permission

I'm in South Carolina

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Mar 8, 2023

If you are a tenant in common on the property, then yes, you can improve it. But then all TICs own the improved real property, and they might partition it or hold out on any sale until they are paid alot. I advise to hire an AL attorney to search the title, determine ownership, then see if other... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law, Real Estate Law and Probate for Alabama on
Q: Can a property and home be sold if the deed is in someone else's name?

people whose names on the deed are both deceased. There was no will reading, no one truly knew who it went to. It was sold recently by a family member without telling others, and then resold two weeks later to someone else.

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Feb 13, 2023

The actual Heirs need an AL attorney now to file suit for Ejectment. It will be difficult and expensive but the alternative is losing the property forever very quickly. A Title Search should be performed first so that all interested parties are sued.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My husband just died and left his entire $1,000,000 life insurance policy to his sister. We have minor children.

He told me I was beneficiary. Life insurance policy was paid for 12 years from our joint account. Married over 17 years. 2 minor children. Do I have cause to contest this?

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Feb 4, 2023

An Alabama attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for two weeks. I'm sorry for the loss of your husband and the concealment of the terms of the policy. This is posted under Bad Faith, but attorneys who practice in the Probate and Estate Planning categories might be a better... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law, Civil Litigation and Probate for Alabama on
Q: Brother not letting me find out about royalties due me. What can I do?

It's an old estate from grandparents.

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Feb 2, 2023

A good start will be hiring an AL attorney to sue for an Accounting. The SOL and Discovery will be significant issues. Collection of any Judgment may also be difficult.

1 Answer | Asked in Personal Injury, Probate and Estate Planning for Alabama on
Q: What does it mean when the Probate Judge gives a check to the paralegal in Alabama
Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Dec 21, 2022

An Alabama attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for three weeks. If this is about a personal injury case (the originally posted category) that involves an estate, you may want to add "Estate Planning" and "Probate" to your categories. Good luck

1 Answer | Asked in Probate and Real Estate Law for Alabama on
Q: How long, typically, after closing on the sale of real estate in probate does it take before the beneficiary gets paid?

We closed on the sale 2 mos ago and I haven't heard from my attorney at all. Is this normal?

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Oct 10, 2022

No.... Go see the attorney in person. But first determine if he represented you in the first place. If not, you may have a problem with the buyer.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My father passed 10 years ago do I have ownership in his house?

My father passed 10 years ago. He was married at the time. I was recently contacted by my stepmom asking me to sign some papers on dads house. I just wanted to know if this means I have owner ship in the house. I thought because they were married then everything would go to her. There was not a... View More

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Sep 23, 2022

Hire an attorney to examine the Deed. Both MS and AL attorneys should be able to discern the apparent owner without a title search (assuming they are competent). You are probably an Heir At Law, and thus a Tenant In Common with the other Heirs. Do not sign anything unless you are paid... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law and Probate for Alabama on
Q: How can I get extra money from the estate if the will was not probated
Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Sep 21, 2022

If you are a Next of Kin or Heir, and there are sufficient assets, then you might consider administrating the Estate as Intestate. Then there may be distributions, or you might file your own Claim. Hire a competent AL attorney.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law, Elder Law and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My father died 12 years ago. My sister paid all his debts & all taxes on his property have been paid.

she did not file probate when he died. We want to sell his mobile home. What do we do now?

Frank Truncali
Frank Truncali
answered on Aug 21, 2022

Some additional facts are needed before an attorney can fully answer this question. For example, is the mobile home still titled in your father's name? Does this sale involve the land that the sits on? I recommend contacting a probate attorney in your area to further discuss the next steps... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Alabama on
Q: Hello, my father was killed, He had a wife and 3 children. In this case, how is the estate usually divided?

As of now we haven't found a will. Might I also add that 2 of us are grown and from a previous marriage. The other child is also grown but lived in the house with my father and stepmother.

Jack T. Carney
Jack T. Carney
answered on Jul 6, 2022

I’m sorry for your loss. If your father had no Will, then the estate passes by the laws of intestacy. Those laws provide that one half of the estate passes to his spouse and the other half passes to his children.

The estate does not include assets that pass automatically, such as joint...
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1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Products Liability, Real Estate Law and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My grandmother passed away September 2021. Myself and another relative are both executors over her probate. Her house

was to be sold and split. I verbally agreed to buy the house and started living in the house before probate was closed. On April 8th, the house burned down due to hoverboard board exploding.

My question is can I sue hoverboard if the house wasn't in my name at the time of the fire or... View More

Anthony M. Avery
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answered on Jul 1, 2022

The cause of action for Product Liability, Negligence, etc. is arguably personal property of the Estate. But usually the devisees own the real property when the Will is Probated. To prevent an insurance defense lawyer from dismissing the suit for lack of standing, Both Co-Executors and... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Family Law, Energy, Oil and Gas and Probate for Alabama on
Q: My mother passed away in 2016. My father was the executor of her estate. She inherited oil leases in a few states from

her parents. My father didn't transfer them over to his name. He passed in 2019. I am the executor to his estate. Problem is, she passed in Alabama and I am a resident of Virginia. We had to get a 3rd party resident of AL to handle the transfers of the oil leases to a LLC for my sister and... View More

Randy Bryan Ligh
Randy Bryan Ligh
answered on Jun 10, 2022

I assume that there's an attorney involved with your mother's estate? if so, speak to that attorney. if you have issues with him, then consult with another probate attorney and seek what is recommended.

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