What happens if I return the estate inventory late? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, filing the estate inventory late can trigger the Clerk of Superior Court to issue an order requiring the personal representative to file by a set deadline (often at least 20 days) or appear and explain the delay. If…
How do I find out whether my deceased parent filed tax returns in recent years? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the most reliable way to confirm whether a deceased parent filed recent federal tax returns is to request IRS transcripts (and, if needed, copies of returns) for the years in question. A…
What should I do if a relative closed the decedent’s bank accounts before I could manage the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, once letters have been issued, the executor (personal representative) is the person with legal authority to collect and manage estate assets. If a relative closed the decedent’s bank accounts,…
How can I open probate for both parents so I can clear title to the house and land before the upcoming auction? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, probate (estate administration) is opened through the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where each parent lived at death. If there is a will,…
How can I legally treat the estate’s vehicle as a distribution to a co‑heir so I can finish the final accounting and close the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a personal representative can usually distribute an estate vehicle “in kind” to a co-heir (instead of selling it) and then show that…
What happens if a will leaves property to relatives who died before the person who made the will? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a gift in a will to a relative who died before the person who made the will usually does not automatically fail. If the deceased beneficiary was a grandparent…
If my spouse died after an expected inheritance came up in a relative’s estate, who gets my spouse’s share—me or my spouse’s adult children? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the inheritance that was headed to a deceased spouse usually becomes part of that spouse’s own estate, and then it passes under that…
What documents do you need from me to get the probate started? – North Carolina Short Answer To start probate in North Carolina, the Clerk of Superior Court typically needs the death certificate and (if there is one) the original will, plus basic information about the decedent, the people entitled to serve, and the known…
What can I do if someone forged documents or improperly notarized paperwork to transfer my parent’s home before they died? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a suspected forged deed or other fraudulent transfer of a parent’s home before death is usually addressed by (1) getting the estate’s personal representative (administrator) to investigate…
What immediate steps can stop the named beneficiary from changing locks, taking belongings, or selling items before the estate is opened? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the fastest way to stop someone from changing locks, removing heirlooms, or selling property before an estate is opened is to seek an emergency court order…
