Can I recover life insurance or retirement plan funds that bypassed the estate or went to child welfare? – North Carolina Short Answer Sometimes. In North Carolina, life insurance and many retirement benefits usually pass outside probate to the named beneficiary, so the estate (and heirs) often cannot “pull them back” just because the estate…
Do I need to open full probate or can I use a small estate affidavit to claim the trailer? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, full probate is not always required to claim a trailer after a death. If the estate qualifies as a “small estate” (generally, personal property valued at $20,000 or…
Can an executor enforce rights to online photo and video accounts held by a tech company? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes, often. In North Carolina, a personal representative (executor) can demand certain “digital assets” from a tech company, including photos and videos stored in an online account, by making a written request and providing…
How can I use a small estate affidavit to avoid full probate when the estate only has a small checking account and cars? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a “collection of personal property by affidavit” (often called a small estate affidavit) can avoid full probate when the decedent’s personal property (after subtracting…
How can I get a bank letter confirming payable-on-death beneficiary designations for a deceased member’s accounts? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a payable-on-death (POD) beneficiary designation for a deposit account is typically shown on the bank’s signature card or account agreement, not on the monthly statement. A personal representative can usually obtain…
What evidence do I need to support a claim of undue influence or incapacity in a beneficiary dispute? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a beneficiary dispute based on undue influence or incapacity is usually proven with a collection of facts that point to diminished decision-making and suspicious circumstances around the beneficiary change,…
How do I challenge an executor’s authority to collect rent from our family property? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, heirs or devisees generally take title to a deceased owner’s real estate at death, and rent for periods after death typically belongs to those heirs or devisees—not automatically to the executor. An executor…
How do I ask the court to give me full authority to administer the estate if someone else already has limited authority with court supervision? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, that request is usually made in front of the Clerk of Superior Court handling the estate by filing an estate proceeding that…
What should I do if the surviving spouse doesn’t respond to court notices for letters of administration? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, when a surviving spouse has priority to serve as administrator but does not respond or does not timely qualify, the Clerk of Superior Court can treat that inaction as a…
How can I make sure the refinance price reflects the true market value of inherited property? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a buyout tied to an estate refinance should be based on a defensible fair market value, not just the county tax assessed value. A practical way to protect the buyout number…
