In Kansas, creditors have six months from the date of death, or, if an estate is opened within six months of the date of death, four months from the date of first publication, to file a claim in the probate estate. If an interested party has not petitioned to open the estate, the creditor has... Read more »

I am sorry to have to tell you that the daughters are probably right. A will in Kansas (as in most other states) requires two witnesses to valid, and it sounds like this will had no witnesses or at most maybe one, and even that is a stretch. This is a perfect illustration for why one should... Read more »

Call the health department and report the situation. They might have the clout to force a clean up.

Be careful what you ask for, though. Can your daughter afford the cost of clean up? Maybe she would be better off selling to someone who can afford clean up and move to a better... Read more »

It is not possible for any attorney in this forum to answer your question without reviewing the trust and how your mother's assets are titled.

A trust is managed by a trustee. A probate estate is managed by an executor (if there is a will) or administrator (if there is no will). If there is a will, it must be filed with the court within six months of the date of death; if there is no need to probate the will, the will may be filed with... Read more »

From the Kansas Department of Revenue Motor Vehicles Department website:

In Kansas, if there is more than one owner showing on the face of the title or as buyers on an assignment, the following number of signatures will be required when there is the connection between the names shown below:... Read more »

If a transfer on death deed was filed before the person passed away and was properly drafted, the deed places the property outside of possible claims except for Medicaid. If the person who passed away or her or his spouse received Medicaid benefits during their lifetimes, the Medicaid claims may... Read more »

If a person is appointed as executor of an estate, that person is answerable to the judge or court who appointed her or him. If a beneficiary of a probate estate predeceases the distribution, the court would most likely refer to the provisions of the will. If the will did not provide some... Read more »

Such a sale can go one of two ways. First, the heir you can wait until the property is transferred to the heir and then sell it, in which case the sale proceeds are made payable to the heir.

Or, the property can be sold by the estate while still in the estate, in which case the sale... Read more »

It is not unusual that the estates of multiple people relate to one another. There is not enough information in your inquiry to explain why the determination of descent for your brother's estate would eliminate the need for probate of your mother's estate. If you are trying to handle your... Read more »

There are several options for small estates, depending upon the size of the estate and the type of assets involved. You should be able to find legal counsel who will provide a free consultation to determine your options and identify the cost. If there are sufficient assets in the estate, you... Read more »

As a general matter, it is not a requirement to have a will typed, and there is no requirement that the will be typed by someone other than yourself. However, there are a LOT of other variables to consider. As a probate and estate planning attorney, I've seen countless messes that not only... Read more »

In Kansas, a Will, by itself, won't transfer any assets until it has been probated. This is a court process usually supervised by a Judge. I would highly recommend speaking with a lawyer about this situation. Your lawyer can help review the Will and present it to the probate court. There... Read more »

"Living will" is another name for Advance Directive for Health Care, which is a document that sets forth your values with respect to end of life care. There is definitely value in having one regardless of your age or net worth.

You might have meant to refer to a Will aka Last... Read more »

It looks like there are a number of different topics/questions here. Generally speaking, a bank will want both spouses to sign the mortgage, which is to say they want both spouses to consent to the lien being attached to the real estate. As a married couple, both spouses have an interest in the... Read more »

Generally, yes you can do this. You would have to inform the attorney and he would "unenroll" from the case.

However, if you have any outstanding obligations to the attorney, under the laws of most states, the attorney would have the option of filing a "claim" as a... Read more »

When a person dies without a will, he is said to have died “intestate”, and the persons who inherit from him are determined by that state’s laws of “intestate succession”. The laws of intestate succession direct a hierarchy of kinship that generally favor the spouse and children first,... Read more »

Kansas allows for the probate of wills executed outside the state. K.S.A 59-609 provides that a will executed outside the state in the manner prescribed for Kansas wills, or by the law of the place of it was signed, or by the law of the place testator's residence either at the time of its... Read more »

Your question is highly fact-specific, not a general question that can be answered with a general answer. You need a personal consultation with an attorney who can review all of the facts and give you personalized advice.

Your fidelity to fulfilling your mother's wishes is admirable. She would be proud. There are some details that are undefined that could be important to the proper method of implementing your mother's wishes and you should seek the advice of an attorney and a tax advisor.

If your... Read more »