News and Articles

How do I inventory and divide personal assets like vehicles or livestock in probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the court-appointed personal representative (administrator) must list and value all probate personal property at the decedent’s date of death and file an inventory within three months of qualifying. Vehicles require detailed identification (including…

How can I secure and access inherited property before probate is finalized? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you generally need legal authority from the Clerk of Superior Court before you can control estate property. The usual path is to qualify as the estate’s administrator (or, in urgent situations, as a temporary collector),…

What is the probate process in North Carolina when someone dies without a will? Short Answer In North Carolina, dying without a will means the estate is administered through intestate probate. The Clerk of Superior Court appoints an administrator who gathers assets, publishes and mails notice to creditors, pays valid claims (including any Medicaid estate…

What steps handle a Medicaid lien on estate property in an intestate case? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, open an estate and appoint a personal representative, give proper creditor notices (including personal notice to the Division of Health Benefits), and allow the State to present its Medicaid estate recovery claim. If personal…

What steps do I take to get reimbursed for funeral, publication, and other out-of-pocket expenses from an estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, anyone who paid funeral, publication, or other estate-related costs should submit a written claim with receipts to the personal representative (executor or administrator) before the deadline in the published…

Can I transfer a vehicle or other assets from an estate to a beneficiary before the probate process is fully closed? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes, but do it with care. In North Carolina, a personal representative can make partial distributions before closing the estate if claims, taxes, and administration costs have been paid…

How do executor fees work and what documentation should I keep for a reasonable commission? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, executor commissions are allowed but not automatic. The Clerk of Superior Court sets a reasonable amount up to 5% of commissionable receipts and disbursements (not distributions to heirs). Commissionable items generally include…

How should I handle a savings bond with no beneficiary? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a U.S. savings bond titled only in the decedent’s name with no co-owner or payable-on-death beneficiary is a probate asset. The executor should list it on the estate Inventory, use Letters (Testamentary or of Administration) and the…

How long do I have to wait before transferring the car or real estate title to heirs? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an executor should generally wait until the 3‑month creditor claim period ends and the estate’s debts, taxes, and expenses are paid or adequately reserved before making distributions or signing title…

What assets need to go on part one versus part two of the probate inventory? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, Part 1 of the Inventory (AOC-E-505) lists probate assets the personal representative controls and can use to pay claims, such as sole-name bank accounts, undeposited checks, vehicles titled only in the decedent’s…

Is there a way to avoid probate fees when transferring a joint vehicle after death? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. North Carolina lets you transfer a deceased owner’s vehicle without opening a full estate by using a DMV Affidavit of Authority to Assign Title, if certain conditions are met and all heirs sign. If…

Do I have to list my children on the affidavit to assign vehicle title? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, the Affidavit of Authority to Assign Title requires you to list all heirs (and, if there is a will, all devisees), and all heirs generally must sign the affidavit before the Clerk…

What steps are needed to satisfy the court and DMV when one heir lives abroad? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the DMV will accept an Affidavit of Authority to Assign Title only if all heirs sign and the Clerk of Superior Court certifies it. An heir living abroad can usually sign before…

How can I transfer my late spouse’s jointly titled car without opening probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you can usually transfer a deceased owner’s interest in a car without opening probate by using the DMV’s Affidavit of Authority to Assign Title, which must be signed by all heirs and certified by…

Can I use a small estate affidavit or year’s allowance to move a car title for one surviving spouse? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes—North Carolina offers several shortcuts that can transfer a decedent’s vehicle to a surviving spouse without full probate. The spousal year’s allowance can assign the car directly to the spouse within…

How do I handle out-of-state property that was owned jointly with a spouse whose estate was never probated? – North Carolina Short Answer Start by confirming how the out-of-state deed titled the property. If it was tenants by the entirety or joint tenancy with a right of survivorship, the first spouse’s share passed automatically to…

What documents and information will I need to start ancillary probate and real property transfer? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you either (1) record certified copies of the out-of-state will and probate order to pass title to North Carolina real estate, or (2) open an ancillary estate with the Clerk of Superior…

Can the heirs sell the jointly owned property before ancillary probate is completed? – North Carolina Short Answer Usually, no. In North Carolina, heirs generally cannot pass clear title within two years of death unless the personal representative has published notice to creditors and joins the deed. If the out-of-state land was held with a…

Do I need to open an ancillary estate in North Carolina for my late spouse’s interest in the property? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you generally open an ancillary estate here only if a non‑North Carolina decedent owned North Carolina property that needs administration (usually real estate without survivorship). If the deed…

What steps are required to transfer the out-of-state property to the heirs through the probate process? – North Carolina Short Answer Under North Carolina law, real estate is governed by the law of the state where it sits. To clear title to out-of-state land, the North Carolina personal representative typically secures certified or exemplified copies…