What documents do I need to bring to the notary when signing the inventory? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the key document to bring is the unsigned inventory itself, plus a valid, current photo ID so the notary can verify identity. The inventory should be signed in front of the notary (not…
Can I publish the notice to creditors before the probate letters are signed and issued? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the notice to creditors is tied to the personal representative having already “qualified” (been officially appointed) by the Clerk of Superior Court. If the probate letters have not been signed and issued…
Who is authorized to request or receive escrowed funds when the decedent’s share is part of an estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the person authorized to request or receive escrowed sale proceeds that belong to a decedent’s estate is usually the court-appointed personal representative (executor or administrator) acting under Letters Testamentary…
How do I get a complete copy of a deceased parent’s will and probate filings if I can only see a summary page online? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, once a will is offered for probate, the original will is kept by the Clerk of Superior Court as part of the estate…
What happens after the house-sale money is transferred into the estate—who gets paid first and what comes next? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, once the house-sale proceeds are in the estate, the personal representative (or the clerk, in a clerk-administered estate) generally pays estate obligations in a statutory priority order—starting with costs…
If beneficiaries already got money from a non‑probate account and spent it, how do we handle creditor claims? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, money that passes outside probate (like a transfer-on-death or payable-on-death account) can still be reached to pay valid estate debts if the probate estate does not have enough assets.…
Where can I find the official probate forms and FAQs online? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the most reliable place to find official probate (estate) forms is the North Carolina Judicial Branch website’s forms search page. Many Clerks of Superior Court also post county-specific Estates Department instructions and FAQs on their county…
Can I take an executor fee in a small estate, and is it worth pursuing if it reduces what’s left for everyone? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a personal representative (executor/administrator) generally may be paid for the work of administering an estate, but the amount is not automatic. In a true “small-estate”…
How do I report or prove false statements made in probate paperwork without making my situation worse? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the safest way to address suspected false statements in probate paperwork is usually to raise the issue in the estate proceeding before the Clerk of Superior Court, using documents and…
How do we transfer the deed to inherited houses when the parent died without a will and nothing has been filed? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a deed usually cannot be “transferred” out of a deceased parent’s name just because the family agrees. When someone dies without a will, the houses generally…
