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answered on Dec 30, 2024
The cause of death is not material. If you are the closest relative, as in this case might be if your sibling had no issue (including adoptees) or living parents, you are the most eligible to probate the sibling's estate. You have no duty to do this, and you might decline if the sibling had no... View More 
No house or vehicles. Just furniture, life insurance worth $60,000, bank account approx $3,000, liabilities approx $3,000. I am one of three executors in South Africa, Ireland, and the US respectively. One of us will be travelling to the US at whenever seems the best time.
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answered on Nov 1, 2024
My condolences on the passing of your friend or family member. One of the primary purposes of creating a revocable living trust is that the trustmaker can dispose of assets upon his/her death and avoid probate. In order to successfully by pass probate, (1) the trust must have been valid and (2)... View More
I contacted the law firm that created the will and know the lawyer. I was told they would call me right back and haven't heard anything. My brother and I are the only surviving relatives. I wanted to if I had the right to see the will. There is also the question of what happens if it was... View More
answered on Sep 27, 2024
One way for a testator to revoke a will is through physical obliteration - tearing it up, marking through it, burning it, etc. Many lawyers will not keep an original will because it would deprive the testator of the ability to revoke a will in this manner. Instead, the lawyer or law firm may make... View More
My mother passed away 10 years ago with no will. She had married a man with children and together they had brought a home. The deed of trust is in both names and listed as tenants by the entireties with the right of survivorship. The husband is now dead. Are ONLY his children entitled to the... View More
answered on Sep 4, 2024
When a Virginia resident dies intestate - without a will - property may pass through nonprobate transfers, such as survivorship, POD account beneficiaries, TOD account beneficiaries, retirement plan beneficiaries, or other nonprobate measures, or according to the law of intestacy in Virginia, which... View More
My mother passed away 10 years ago with no will. She had married a man with children and together they had brought a home. The deed of trust is in both names and listed as tenants by the entireties with the right of survivorship. The husband is now dead. Are ONLY his children entitled to the... View More
answered on Sep 4, 2024
That is some seriously poor estate planning, and it may be worthwhile to sit down with a lawyer to check the deed (not the deed of trust) any other trusts, and whether your step-father had a will. But, if the deed was by entireties and bought during the marriage, it became his house when she died,... View More
My mother passed away 10 years ago with no will. She had married a man with children and together they had brought a home. The deed of trust is in both names and listed as tenants by the entireties with the right of survivorship. The husband is now dead. Are ONLY his children entitled to the... View More
answered on Sep 4, 2024
I am answering this question with the assumption the parties resided in the State of Virginia. With the real estate being owned by your mother and your step-father as husband and wife and as tenants by the entirety with the right of survivorship, when your mother passed the property became the... View More
uncle is saying all of my deceased dad’s belongings are his
answered on Aug 27, 2024
You need to sit down with a lawyer experienced in Virginia probate law to review the Will, if any, the property deeds, if any, the family tree, and the other assets your father owned. If your father had a wife or children and no Will, his brother is not in his intestate succession. But, if you let... View More
answered on Jul 11, 2024
You and her two daughters should be able to sell the home when probate is complete. The administrator of your wife's estate may also be able to sell it with a court order and distribute the proceeds to you and the two daughters.
If I was deed certain parcels of a property but they also will the entire property to someone else ( I assume this world be including my parcels considering it’s all one address) how does this work? Would I have to create a new address to live on my property or is that even possible?? What does... View More
answered on Apr 17, 2024
In short, if you were given certain parts of a property years ago but the owner now willed the entire property to someone else, including your parts, it means you technically own those parts, but someone else owns the whole property. You may need legal help to clarify your rights and possibly... View More
If I was deed certain parcels of a property but they also will the entire property to someone else ( I assume this world be including my parcels considering it’s all one address) how does this work? Would I have to create a new address to live on my property or is that even possible?? What does... View More
answered on Apr 17, 2024
Your question is not clear as to what you are asking, so I am going to guess that you are asking if someone can devise (gift) real estate under a Will, when part of the real estate was subdivided with several parcels being conveyed out during the decedent' lifetime. The Will can effectively... View More
If I was deed certain parcels of a property but they also will the entire property to someone else ( I assume this world be including my parcels considering it’s all one address) how does this work? Would I have to create a new address to live on my property or is that even possible?? What does... View More
answered on Apr 17, 2024
More facts are required to answer this question accurately. Your question seems to touch on several different legal topics. First of all, a deed is effective upon delivery to the grantee. To preserve his or her rights against the rest of the world, the grantee should record the deed in the... View More
If I was deed certain parcels of a property but they also will the entire property to someone else ( I assume this world be including my parcels considering it’s all one address) how does this work? Would I have to create a new address to live on my property or is that even possible?? What does... View More
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answered on Apr 17, 2024
If the testator did not own the property deeded to you earlier, then it is not part of the testate estate and cannot be devised. Hire a VA attorney to search the title and ensure noone else is claiming your parcels. Also make sure you are paying taxes on your properties, under a correct address... View More
A man and a women get married, joining each other with 1 child each from a previous marriage. Together they have 1 child together. Over 30 years pass and the mother dies suddenly without a will. Father gets everything. Father remarries someone from a foreign country, she has two adult children and... View More
answered on Mar 6, 2024
First of all, if the first wife in your questions dies without a will in Virginia, the laws of intestate succession govern the distribution of her probate assets. In this case, the husband would receive one-third (not including potential spousal claims) and all of the children of the wife would... View More
My mother has moved to a senior living home and needs to sell her house. She is coowner (60%) along with 5 of her children. The sale cannot go forward since one of the children died last year and his will presumably naming his wife as executrix is hung up in probate court in the US Virgin... View More
answered on Feb 8, 2024
With the issue of the one child's estate being hung up in probate in the Virgin Islands and not knowing the terms of the child's last will and testament, you only course of action may be to contact a local attorney where the property is located and file a suit for partition. The court... View More
As the husband of the decedent, I am the only person in the estate.
answered on Feb 6, 2024
Handling of estates is a lot more technical than most people think, and you should consult an experienced probate attorney to review the estate and advise you. If there is no estate under administration (through the court system) you - as an individual - are generally not responsible for the... View More
As the husband of the decedent, I am the only person in the estate.
answered on Feb 6, 2024
Generally speaking, the Executor or the Administrator of a decedent's estate is responsible for the debts of the estate, assuming the estate has sufficient assets to pay the claims. Virginia Code Section 64.2-528 provides the order of priority when paying debts.
I have contacted the circuit court and they are saying my brother is failing to provide information. I think my brother is hiding something. Should I hire my own attorney?
answered on Jan 24, 2024
You may need to hire an attorney to look into your brother's actions while serving as the Executor in your father's estate. Your brother has a fiduciary duty to protect your interest and deal fairly and openly with you. His actions or inactions could warrant his removal as the Executor.... View More
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answered on Jan 22, 2024
In general, if you did not file jointly for the tax year in question, you are typically not responsible for your deceased spouse's individual tax debts to the state of Virginia. However, there are exceptions and complexities depending on the specifics of your situation, such as the nature of... View More
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answered on Jan 19, 2024
In Virginia, if your deceased spouse owed taxes to the state and you did not file joint taxes for the year in question, you are generally not personally responsible for the tax debt. However, the deceased person's estate may be responsible for settling any outstanding tax obligations. The... View More
My father died a year ago and we are still settling debt and selling property. There was no will. The estate is handled by an administrator. We sold a property and our closing lawyer says we get the proceeds and they do not go into the estate account. There are still debts to be settled. If we... View More
answered on Dec 5, 2023
Unfortunately, I need more information to properly answer your questions. Was there a will? Is the estate being handled by an Executor or an Administrator? Does the fiduciary have power of sale over the real estate? Normally, if there are debts and claims owing by the estate, no probate assets... View More
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