How do I handle possible medical debts in collections before distributing estate assets? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the personal representative must publish a notice to creditors, send personal notices to known or reasonably ascertainable creditors, wait for the claims period to expire, and then pay allowed claims in the statutory order…
Can federal death benefits be paid directly to me and my sibling instead of going into the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer Usually, yes. Most federal employee death benefits (like life insurance and retirement accounts) are paid directly to the person named on the beneficiary form and do not pass through the North Carolina…
What information do I need to provide to set up direct deposit of federal death benefits? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, who gives bank information for federal death benefits depends on who is legally entitled to the money. If the benefit names a beneficiary, the paying agency deposits directly to that person’s…
What happens if the death benefits are deposited into the estate rather than to individual heirs? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, if death benefits are paid to the estate, they become probate assets. The personal representative must first use them to pay administration costs, year’s allowances, and valid creditor claims in the…
What steps do I take to authorize my attorney to obtain bank statements and close my grandparent’s accounts? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, only a duly qualified personal representative (executor or administrator) with issued Letters has authority to collect a decedent’s bank records and close accounts. To authorize your attorney, give the…
How can I file a partition action to sell intestate property and get a clear title? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a co-owner (heir) may file a partition proceeding with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the land sits. The court must first decide whether to divide the land…
What steps do I need to identify and notify all heirs before selling estate land? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you must identify every heir who owns an interest in the land and give each proper legal notice before a partition sale or any court-ordered estate sale can proceed. Known heirs are…
What do we need to do to identify and notify all potential heirs in a partition proceeding? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you must first determine who the heirs are, then make every co-tenant a party to the partition case and properly serve them. If any heirs are unknown, the personal representative…
How do co-administrators close probate when estate funds must be divided proportionally? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, co-administrators can close an intestate estate once claims are paid, heirs and their shares are identified, and proportional distributions are made or provided for. If any heir is unknown or cannot be found, the law…
How can we start a partition action to force the sale of our cousin’s property? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a co-owner starts a partition by filing a special proceeding with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the land sits. If the land is inherited “heirs’ property,” the court…
