Get free answers to your Estate Planning legal questions from lawyers in your area.
I want to just file one POA that covers everything including Healthcare decisions
answered on Oct 15, 2024
Most people have two Powers of Attorney documents produced, a Health Care POA and a Financial POA. This is because they are very distinct roles, one is for health care and the other is for financial. A Financial POA can be filed at the County Register of Deeds Office. The Health Care POA can be... View More 
answered on Sep 9, 2024
Property can be deeded using a number of types of deeds, which convey different types of interest and or carry different types of warranties. Many deeds on file are incorrect as it is not the Recorder of Deed's job to review recorded records. My recommendation is you contact an attorney to be... View More
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answered on Aug 29, 2024
Hello and thanks for your question. The duration of a partition action in North Carolina can vary based on several procedural steps and statutory requirements. Initially, if the court determines that the petitioner is entitled to relief, it will appoint three disinterested commissioners who must... View More
There is a lot of information to write down. The situation in short is my family member is dead. His girlfriend broke up with him, according to a documented police report & body cam footage, the night he died in an accident. She now provides a Living Will (Not Will & last testament) printed... View More
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answered on Aug 16, 2024
No claim to estate assets as either a spouse, will beneficiary nor heir. However Decedent's relatives need to hire a GA attorney to start a Probate if there are any decent assets. Quickly... If GF was on a Banking Account, then it will be cleaned out and not an Estate Asset.
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answered on Jun 19, 2024
In South Carolina, as in most states, debts belong to the individual, not the spouse, unless it was a joint account or the spouse co-signed on the account. When someone passes away, their estate is responsible for paying off any debts. The deceased person's assets must first go toward paying... View More
answered on Jun 19, 2024
You should have no direct legal liability for debts in your wife's name alone, but assuming that you are a beneficiary of her estate, to the extent that there are assets in her name, those estate debts must be paid before you receive any distribution from her estate.
Confer with... View More
Executor changed named beneficiary of 25yrs to make himself now the named beneficiary, via internet, on Charles Schwab acct. 3 weeks before my dad passed away. Durable POA not filled with registry of deeds in Wake county
answered on May 28, 2024
The answer to your question will hinge upon the Power of Attorney document’s language. Because your father was living at the time of this beneficiary change, the executor would have been acting in his or her potential role as agent under the Power of Attorney.
An agent has a fiduciary... View More
It was mind brother trying to take mom got all timer and brother making decisions for her
answered on May 20, 2024
Your brother can only sell what he owns, so if someone is willing to buy his interest, he can sell it, but he cannot sell your portion. Since he is a part owner, your brother can get a court-ordered sale in which the whole property would be sold. You need to speak with a local attorney for further... View More
Given it is a small estate I don’t have to do notice, but I have received notice/bills from more creditors than is money to pay. Do I pay pro rata? What happens if more creditors show up after I have closed the estate? Who is liable?
answered on May 13, 2024
I don't know who told you that you do not have to publish a notice, but the notice is very important in estates with very little assets but lots of debt. The order in which you pay debts is determined by statute, and each class of debt is paid out pro-rata if there isn't enough to pay the... View More
It was never filed and the estate was never settled. Uncle had no debt. The son ( deceased heir) has outstanding income tax debt. The son’s criminal attorney has uncles will and refuses to release it to family. My mother and aunt (uncles sisters) are now closest living relatives and heirs to my... View More
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answered on Apr 30, 2024
Hire a NC attorney to probate Uncle's Estate. With Letters of Administration, you will be able to demand the will document, which then is administered by the Executor. You still might be the Administrator with Will Annexed. However the devise might not go to you, and you might be only... View More
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answered on Feb 22, 2024
Setting up a living trust in Florida as a non-resident solely to avoid state taxes on investments within the trust may not be a viable strategy. While Florida does not impose state income tax on individuals, there are other factors to consider, such as residency requirements and potential tax... View More
My mother recently passed away. We transferred her home and car into my name a few months before her death, but the mortgage is still in her name which I have been paying. She did not have any estate. Am I responsible for paying her Medical bills prior to her passing and can they take the house... View More
answered on Feb 15, 2024
Without seeing the actual bills and the deed transferring the property to you, I can't give you an answer. I suggest taking all the paperwork to a local attorney and having them give you specific advice.
The mortgage company will likely require you to get a new mortgage or, if you are... View More
I would like to keep my property in my family. If my daughter dies and the property goes to her husband he could leave it to his family in Australia.
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answered on Feb 5, 2024
There are several options. You could make a life estate/remainder deed to your daughter for life, then to someone else at her death. Deeds take effect now with no probate involvement. Contact a competent NC attorney to search the title and execute a transfer to suit you.
My father passed in 2021& his wife last year . My siblings and I Were not even notified of my father's passing until he was buried and gone even his brother wasn't notified.im afraid she is up to something
answered on Jan 31, 2024
There are a couple forms she could be trying to get you to sign. It sounds like she's trying to get you to waive your inheritance rights. If your father's wife never adopted you and never made a will, realistically the stepsister gets her property. Why she's trying to get you to... View More
I am 36 years old. My mom passed away many years ago and so did my only brother. Everything of course was then only my stepdads. My stepdad has been my father since I was 5 years old. I consider him my father of course. We’ve always had a great relationship but recently he has been ill and... View More
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answered on Jan 14, 2024
Your stepdad is mistaken and you are right to be concerned. You are NOT in the line of succession. To inherit from your stepdad he would need to name you as the death beneficiary on his financial accounts (an excellent method) AND sign a will that leaves everything to you (for items that do not... View More
I am 36 years old. My mom passed away many years ago and so did my only brother. Everything of course was then only my stepdads. My stepdad has been my father since I was 5 years old. I consider him my father of course. We’ve always had a great relationship but recently he has been ill and... View More
answered on Jan 31, 2024
If he never adopted you, you don't inherit from him in the absence of a will. Intestacy statutes will apply and the property will either go to his children (if he has any legal children) or his sibling(s). His living sister's daughter won't have a claim (rather the sister herself... View More
I am from CA and am investing in rental property in North Carolina. We have a living trust established few years back and to which our existing home was added. I was told to add any future property (in CA or out of state) to the trust. As I purchase this new property, is it better to assign the... View More
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answered on Jan 3, 2024
It is doubtful that the lender will take a deed of trust and note with only the trustee's name and signature. They will want the trustee to sign individually. And this is at closing. If transferred to the trust later, it might violate a due on sales clause, but will definitely still... View More
Looking to buy my husbands grandmas house, she may eventually need to go into assisted living due to dementia
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answered on Dec 12, 2023
In North Carolina, a nursing home itself typically does not have the authority to "take" a family member's house. However, if your husband's grandmother eventually requires Medicaid to pay for her long-term care, there could be implications for her estate, including her house.... View More
Passed in 2021, I just got a copy of the will. My sister was executor, I'm a trustee. My brother sold my dad's land right at 1/2 million, brother took money and bought land and home in brother's name one year before dad's death.
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answered on Nov 29, 2023
An unexecuted will cannot be probated. Apparently the Father's heirs owned the property. You will need a very good real property litigator in the County of the land to file ejectment, quiet title, etc. actions. All interested parties must be parties. However laches will probably prevent... View More
Unmarried spouse of 17 years dies suddenly without a will. He has a DBA business. After he died his brother helps my mom with arrangements. He ends up taking over the business. Out of good faith my mother hands him every title to every vehicle there is work vehicles included. Well one by one he had... View More
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answered on Nov 24, 2023
If your spouse passed away without a will, the distribution of their estate, including the business and assets, would be subject to the intestacy laws of the state where you reside. These laws determine how assets are divided among surviving family members in the absence of a will.
As an... View More
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