Oklahoma Estate Planning Questions & Answers
Q: My dad passed away in March 26th 2019. My dad was married to his 2nd wife for 30+yrs. He had a will.
We were not notified until after his death. How can we obtain a copy of the will. He lived in Haskell Oklahoma.
Can we also contest the will?
You will need to hire an attorney in order to probably get the will from the surviving spouse. As to contesting the will, that attorney after reviewing the will and you telling the attorney any facts you may have as to why it should be contested can best answer that question.
Q: My father passed away. He had a will and I am the execator . The will just states to divided everything equal among my
among my two sisters and me. How long do I wait to divide to see if any bills come in. He didn't owe anything. Didn't have much
If he has an actual will, not a trust, you'll need to file a probate action and present the will to probate Judge to get an order from the Court to divide up the assets. Having an attorney to help you will ensure this is done as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, there will be... Read more »
Q: Is it legal for my mother to write her own will as long as it is witnessed and notarized?
She owns her own home, is a widow, has a car and a 401. No bills to speak of other than utilities. Credit cards paid off monthly.
Absolutely, but it is extremely easy to create an invalid Will. A 401k will be disbursed according to the beneficiary designation even if the wheels leave it to somebody else.
She should also consider probate avoidance techniques such as trusts, Transfer on death designation’s etc.... Read more »
Q: My father died with no will. His house/property went to myself and his wife. She hasn’t paid taxes in 4 years. Options?
I am his daughter. I started receiving back tax stubs about 6 months ago and just got a letter of intent to auction. She refuses to sell the property back to our family (we got the land in the Okalahoma Land Run) and refused to pay the taxes. Shouldn’t the resident of the property be responsible... Read more »
Sorry for your headaches.
I am assuming that the wife has a spousal homestead in the property. You may want to protect your interest by paying the taxes to prevent a tax sale. You would be entitled to contribution if the property later sells. While I agree that she should pay the taxes,... Read more »
Q: Mother died in 2008 no will daughter been paying taxes on land acreage a14 years how do I get it in my name
If the property was owned in mother's name alone, this will require a probate. Since there was no Will, it would pass according to intestacy statutes. If she was single and you are the only heir, this should qualify for a summary probate. If she was married and/or had additional heirs, then the... Read more »
Q: Woman has oil interest in OK. Died 1965. Intestate. 1 son/heir. No rec of convey but 1 1976 OGL in his name. Same legal.
Son married X3. 5 children from wife 1 & 2. Wife 3 no children. He died 2004. Will stipulated for his 5 children & all real property to 3rd wife. She died 2015. In 2016, an oil & gas forced pooling order was approved & the drilling operator, after due diligence, deposits cash bonuses & royalties in... Read more »
This is hard to say without reviewing the records and the Will.
Was the Will actually probated? Some wills are invalid for various reasons.
However, it is likely that 3rd wife's heirs at law would be entitled to the interests.
Q: I married a man with adult children. We bought a home since. If he passes can they take the home from me?
All children were on their own. Previous spouse deceased. Mortgage comes from my account. Other Bill's from his.
A couple of things. Under Oklahoma law for property located here.
If deed named you and your husband as Joint tenants with right of survivorship then the property will belong entirely to you (subject to the mortgage) by filing an affidavit of surviving joint-tenant with his death... Read more »
Q: How can a family caregiver get the right to occupy a deceased mother's home
I was a long term caregiver. I have been without electricity for 100 days. City refuses to allow me to reconnect because I live in my deceased mother's home. Have been told an instrument exists that I can file that will give me right to occupy as a caregiver. What Is that and who do I file it... Read more »
This is a complicated question, and I can;t answer it in the space I've been given for only one post. So, I'm going to give you the full answer, in two separate posts.
Here is part 1:
First, find the original deed (or document) that originally transferred the home to your deceased... Read more »
Q: I need to remove a trustee that has used the trust for her own personal gain. In fact she made changes to the original.
The changes were made while the successor was in declining health and could no longer care for herself. The trustee became the trustee after the successor died. The trust lawyer gave the trustee rules to follow and as such, the trustee violated those rules. The trustee is also a beneficiary and... Read more »
File an action in court to remove the trustee.
Look at the wording in the trust. Does it say that the "situs" of the trust is in a certain state? If so, file the action in that state.
The wording of the trust may also specify in which state a trust action must be filed. If that... Read more »
Q: My Grandmother died in 2009 and my mother was still trying to get 2 different AD&D payouts and she died, what can I do?
My mother was working on it until the day she died and now I don't know what to do! One company is wanting my grandma's estate papers showing my mom was the PR and sole inheritor - how can I get those? Is there a statute of limitations.
To get your grandmother's estate papers, call the clerk of the court where the probate case was filed. The clerk is required by law to give you the papers.
There is not a statute of limitations for probate cases.
Q: My mother died in an accident and left me her house in JT with ROS a year before. Can her creditors come after it?
From everything I've been able to collect so far it looks as if she will have more debt than her probative estate. None of her debts have me as a cosignatory or co-borrower.
No since the property was in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship general creditors cannot attach or make claims against that property. However if there was a mortgage on the property that would remain.
Q: In oklahoma, would conversion of estate funds by a co executor be a state crime or a county crime?
Who would I approach to seek charges?
See
A. Embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property of any person or legal entity, legally obtained, to any use or purpose not intended or authorized by its owner, or the secretion of the property with the fraudulent intent to appropriate it to such use or purpose, under any of... Read more »
Q: How large does my estate need to be in order to justify hiring an estate planning attorney?
Estate planning attorney does more than just help you get assets to family members. That is a secondary concern. My first thoughts are how to protect you will you are still alive. If you don't have proper Powers of Attorney & Advanced Healthcare Directives in place, your family may face... Read more »
Q: Does the fact that a death is a suicide affect the terms of that person's will?
I don't see how unless the will was written at time that the person was of unsound mind.
Q: My husband and I are still married, but estranged. Is he still entitled to my property after I pass away?
Yes or a portion of it if you have children with him. You must be divorced before you pass away in order for him not to be an heir.
Q: Oklahoma will not recognize "will" because it was never probated in Oklahoma.
Grandmother died in Oklahoma in 1980, had a will. All known assets were held in "joint tenancy" with her surviving daughter. In 2014, unknown minerals in OK were found. Oil company remitted force-pooled bonus consideration to OK. OK demands a probated will for an estate of virtually $0. Bonus is... Read more »
If funds are with the unclaimed property division & the total value is under $10k you may be able to use their affidavit process. But keep in mind that once production begins there oil company will probably make probate a title requirement before they release royalty payments.
Q: My father died and my sister has offered me nothing from estate he had land , vehicals and bank accounts .
I have looked on my states public court records and no will has been filed . Does this mean he didnt have one and Im entitled to half his estate ?
Sorry for your loss.
It is impossible to say whether or not he had a will based solely upon an absence of a probate. It sounds as though your father was single at the time of his death. You should have an attorney review the land records to determine what interest he had therein. It... Read more »
Q: My ex-husband passed away without a will. He still owes me 3 years of payments per the divorce degree a lien
You should visit an attorney in your area to determine if the lien is filed with the recorder of deeds and that it is still valid. You may need to foreclose or file a claim in the probate case if one is filed.
Q: My dad passed away and his will states that his proberty is left to my brother and everything else is split equally.
Do we still have to file probate?
This may depend on how his property is titled. If he had a home in his own name then probate will be necessary in order to transfer title. You should visit with a probate attorney. This may be eligible for a summary probate procedure.
Q: If an Irrevocable Trust is sued, are there any actions the beneficiaries must take in response to lawsuit?
If an Irrevocable Trust is sued, is it the responsibility of the trustees, or the beneficiaries, or both, to take actions to respond to the lawsuit? The beneficiaries were not sued individually, only the trust. As a beneficiary, what do I need to do? This is for a case in the State of Colorado.
It should be the responsibilities of the Trustee, however as a beneficiary you are interested in the outcome. You should consult an Colorado attorney and monitor the developments.
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