If the beneficiary wants to give the inherited property interest to someone else right away, what steps have to happen first so the transfer isn’t later challenged by creditors? nc

Probate Q&A Series

If the beneficiary wants to give the inherited property interest to someone else right away, what steps have to happen first so the transfer isn’t later challenged by creditors? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a beneficiary who wants to transfer inherited North Carolina real estate quickly should not deed it out until…

How do I find out whether a deceased relative had investment or retirement accounts if I don’t have account numbers or statements? nc

Probate Q&A Series

How do I find out whether a deceased relative had investment or retirement accounts if I don’t have account numbers or statements? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the person administering the estate (the personal representative) usually starts by gathering clues from the decedent’s mail, email, tax returns, and prior bank activity, then…

Where should we send the facility’s final statement and supporting paperwork for the estate? nc

Probate Q&A Series

Where should we send the facility’s final statement and supporting paperwork for the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a senior care facility should send the final statement and supporting paperwork to the estate’s personal representative (the executor or administrator), not to family members informally. If no personal representative has been appointed…

What information does the funeral home need from me to release records about the funeral arrangements? nc

Probate Q&A Series

What information does the funeral home need from me to release records about the funeral arrangements? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a funeral home will usually release funeral arrangement records only to someone with clear authority—most often the person who signed the funeral contract (the authorizing agent) or the estate’s court-appointed personal…

What happens if a family member believes there are accounts at a brokerage, but the brokerage says it can’t find anything under the information provided? nc

Probate Q&A Series

What happens if a family member believes there are accounts at a brokerage, but the brokerage says it can’t find anything under the information provided? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina estate administration, a brokerage saying it “can’t find anything” usually means the search information is incomplete, the account is held under a…

If we can’t locate the deceased person’s investment accounts, can the estate still be opened and completed without them? nc

Probate Q&A Series

If we can’t locate the deceased person’s investment accounts, can the estate still be opened and completed without them? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes, an estate can usually be opened in North Carolina even if possible investment accounts cannot be located at the start. The personal representative still has a duty to make a…

Can the funeral home provide an itemized statement that can be submitted to the probate court as an estate expense? nc

Probate Q&A Series

Can the funeral home provide an itemized statement that can be submitted to the probate court as an estate expense? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, funeral charges are commonly documented with an itemized funeral home statement, and that documentation is typically used by the personal representative to support payment or reimbursement…