What paperwork do I need to transfer inheritance from my grandparent’s estate into my parent’s probate estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, when a beneficiary of a grandparent’s estate has died and the inheritance must be paid to that beneficiary’s probate estate, the receiving estate usually needs (1) a certified copy of…
Can I use proceeds from selling my parent’s house to fund specific cash gifts in the will? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, estate funds can be used to pay the will’s specific cash gifts, and that can include money raised by selling the decedent’s house if a sale is properly authorized and…
What do my siblings need to do to step aside and waive a bond so I can serve as executor? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, siblings who have an equal or higher right to serve as personal representative (executor/administrator) generally must sign a written renunciation and file it with the Clerk of…
What happens if the only comparables I can find are from online listings—will the court accept those, and what documentation should I provide? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina estate administration, the Clerk of Superior Court generally expects the estate’s inventory to list fair market value as of the date of death, with…
How do I respond if I receive an order to file on an estate case? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an “order to file” in an estate case usually comes from the Clerk of Superior Court (acting as the probate judge) and directs the personal representative (executor/administrator) to file a missing or…
Should the creditor communicate directly with me or only through the personal representative or attorney? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, a creditor should generally direct collection and settlement communications to the estate’s personal representative (executor/administrator) or the estate’s attorney, not to heirs, beneficiaries, or family members in their individual capacity. The…
How can I get a duplicate vehicle title from the agency if the mailed title never arrives? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a missing vehicle title can usually be handled by applying to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) for a duplicate title. North Carolina law allows the vehicle’s owner…
What if estate property is sold to a family member for too little—can I recover the loss from the administrator personally? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes—under North Carolina law, an administrator (personal representative) can be held personally responsible when estate property is sold for an unfairly low price or the sale benefits a family…
What steps do I take to get a year’s allowance as a surviving spouse if we were separated but never filed for divorce? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a surviving spouse can request a spouse’s year’s allowance even if the spouses were separated, as long as an absolute divorce was never entered…
How does the year’s allowance work in an intestate estate when there are significant medical bills and limited assets? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a surviving spouse can claim a $60,000 years allowance from the decedents personal property even when the decedent died without a will, and that allowance is generally protected…
