What can I do if I’m not getting updates on my case and I’m worried nothing is moving forward? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a client can insist on clear, written status updates and copies of anything filed, along with a realistic timeline for the next steps. If communication still does not…
Do I need to go to probate to settle an estate, or are there ways to avoid it? – North Carolina Short Answer Not every North Carolina estate requires a full probate administration. Some assets pass automatically outside probate (for example, by beneficiary designation or survivorship), and some estates qualify for simplified court procedures through…
Where do I send the appeal paperwork once the date of death is corrected, and how do I confirm it was received? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, Medicare appeal paperwork is usually sent to the Medicare contractor or appeals entity listed on the denial or appeal-rights notice—not to the probate court. After…
What are the consequences if I don’t reformat and resubmit the accounting the way the clerk’s office is requesting? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, if the Clerk of Superior Court determines an estate accounting is incomplete or unsatisfactory, the clerk can require a corrected accounting and set a deadline to file…
Can the clerk require a revised order for commissions before approving the estate accounting? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, the Clerk of Superior Court can require corrections to an estate accounting and can decline to approve a final (or annual) account if the commission calculation is incorrect or unsupported. Because personal…
Can you confirm where the sale proceeds went and whether any funds are still being held in escrow? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a closing attorney or other settlement agent typically controls the closing funds and disburses them according to the signed settlement statement. Whether sale proceeds can be confirmed (and to…
What happens if I can’t find current mailing addresses for my spouse’s children to give them notice? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a case usually does not stop just because current mailing addresses for a spouse’s children are missing. The court typically expects a documented, good-faith search for addresses first, and then—if…
How do I find out if Medicaid filed a claim against the estate after someone dies? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, Medicaid estate recovery is usually handled as a creditor claim by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The most reliable way to confirm whether a claim was…
What are the consequences if we can’t reach an agreement and have to ask the court to step in to force a sale or bring the property into the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, if heirs cannot agree, the dispute often shifts into a court-supervised process that can (1) force a…
How can we challenge a joint bank account change if the account holder had dementia and may not have understood what they signed? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a joint account with right of survivorship can move money outside the will, so a late-in-life change can matter a lot. A challenge usually…
