From the fact pattern that you have described, it does appear that you are entitled to a portion of the estate. If your sister distributes the entire estate to herself, she will be violating intestacy laws and her responsibilities as personal representative if she has been so named. However,... View More

Probate is not always necessary. If your deceased mother owned bank accounts or property with your sister, the surviving co-owner often will then own that property automatically. If your sister was named as the payable on death beneficiary of the bank account, probate probably is not be required.... View More

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your instinct to view the contract is a good one. I can't imagine that their "internal decision" will control what happens with the remainder of the contract payments. You may need to file a probate to collect the remainder of the contract. I... View More

The answer to the question of whether or not your wife's estate needs to go through probate depends on which assets she left behind. If the only assets that she left behind are the joint bank accounts and an IRA, then you may not need to go through probate. This is if the bank accounts list... View More

I am sorry for your loss. If she had named a beneficiary on her IRA and all of her other accounts were joint with you then you should not need a probate (assuming she didn't own any property in her name alone). Wait a couple of months after her death and then you can present her Death... View More

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answered on Aug 29, 2023

In Oregon, if you and your late wife held joint accounts with rights of survivorship, these accounts typically pass directly to you as the surviving account holder. They usually don't go through probate because ownership transfers automatically.

Regarding the IRA, if your late wife... View More

I am very sorry for your loss. It is possible that the Payable on Death (POD) designation that your mother signed with her bank could have covered all of her accounts with that bank. It just depends on the language in what she signed. There isn't any sort of time limit on a POD designation.... View More

You are correct. The trustee must account for how all of the trust monies are spent. I recommend contacting the trustee's attorney instead of the trustee directly.

You are also correct that it's the Court case that is closed, not the trust. The trust is not terminated until all... View More

I am sorry for your loss. If there are no other assets that are in your mother's name alone then Oregon has two forms you can fill out to transfer her vehicle and her manufactured home without a probate.

Go to: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/forms/dmv/516fill.pdf for the vehicle. All of... View More

If your name is on the Deed with your mother you should have an attorney review the Deed. There are two ways for people to own Oregon properties. One with survivorship and one without. If you have survivorship then the house is yours and all you need to do to clear the title is record your... View More

Is the garnishment for one of the probate devisees/heirs? If the answer is "Yes" and you hold money for this person then I think you have to abide by the garnishment. You don't deny a garnishment. If you no longer hold money for this person then you can answer the garnisher with... View More

If you are residing in California, then you should be fine with just a California licensed attorney. Each of the membership interests of your LLCs will be assets that will be held in the name of your trust. Although it may be preferable to find an attorney licensed in both states in case novel... View More

Having your name on someone's bank account as their Conservator does not give the money in that account to the Conservator at the person's death. Is it possible that your mother named your sister as "Payable On Death" on that account before she became financially incapable... View More

In an intestate estate (when someone dies without a Will) the people who can file the small estate affidavit are the heirs (your father, in this case) and any creditor. This means that if you pay one of your mother's bills or pay for her burial/cremation, for example, you will become a... View More

Yes, you have the right to contest your father's Will. I recommend you contact the attorney who is representing the Personal Representative and let them know that you are your father's child. Be prepared to prove this fact with a birth certificate, genealogy information, old... View More

You may want to consult with a probate attorney on this. ORS 114.515 does require you to amend the Small Estate Affidavit to include property not previously included. The final answer may be that you should file an amended Affidavit if you need to in order to cash the CalPERS check.

I am sorry for your loss. In Oregon when someone dies without a Will their intestate heirs have priority to be appointed as their Personal Representative (Executor). Your nephew would likely not have priority so if you wish to be in charge of your mother's probate I recommend you hire an... View More

Yes, you should disclose this account to your estate attorney. He/she needs to know this information to determine whether or not an Estate Tax Return is required to be filed. This Return reports probate and non-probate assets.

There is a difference between being a joint account owner and being the beneficiary named in a pay on death directive. It is not uncommon for joint account owners to mutually designate the other owner as POD, but it is not necessarily automatic.

In most--if not all--US states, money on... View More

Any experienced probate attorney should be able to help you. You will need an attorney licensed in the state where your family member died and/or owned property. If you don't have a Will then usually the closest family member can handle the estate.