Can a half-sibling claim a share if they weren’t listed initially? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. Under North Carolina’s intestacy rules, a half-sibling is treated as a sibling and, if there’s no will, shares the estate in the same class as full siblings. If a new half-sibling is identified after the estate opens, the…
How can I open a small estate in North Carolina to obtain letters of administration? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, “small estate” options like collection by affidavit or summary administration do not produce Letters of Administration. To get Letters, you must open a formal estate and qualify as administrator with the Clerk…
What is the process for updating renunciation forms when heirs change? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, when a new heir is identified during an intestate estate, the administrator should promptly update the court file to reflect the correct heirs, provide required notice to anyone with equal or higher priority to serve, and…
How do I add a newly discovered heir to an intestate estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you update the estate file and, if heirship is not already legally established, ask the Clerk of Superior Court to determine the new heir before distributing assets. For a child born outside marriage, paternity must…
When should I switch from a small estate proceeding to a full estate administration? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you should move from a small estate option (collection by affidavit or summary administration) to a full estate administration when you need Letters (Letters of Administration or Letters Testamentary), when assets exceed small-estate…
What happens if the executor misses the court’s deadlines for filing estate inventories and affidavits? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an executor must file the 90‑day inventory within three months of qualifying and file the Affidavit of Notice to Creditors when the inventory is filed. If these deadlines are missed, the Clerk…
How can I compel the executor to correct inventory errors and justify the low sale of my mother’s car? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you can file an estate proceeding with the Clerk of Superior Court to compel the executor to correct inventory errors through a supplemental inventory and to produce records…
Can I file a creditor’s claim or remove the executor for failing to perform fiduciary duties? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, you may present a written creditor’s claim to the personal representative (executor) by the deadline in the published notice to creditors. If the executor misses required filings, mishandles assets, or…
Can I challenge an undervalued sale of estate property and seek a fair appraisal? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, heirs and beneficiaries can object if a personal representative sells estate property for less than fair market value or files an inventory with inaccurate values. You may ask the Clerk of Superior…
How do I handle the vehicle in my father’s estate when the executor hasn’t transferred or valued it? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the executor must list and value all probate assets, including vehicles, at their fair market value on the date of death and file (or amend) the inventory within set…
