Explore our informative articles, insights, and updates focused on North Carolina Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Partition Actions, and Surplus Fund cases. Our goal is to make these complex topics accessible, offering you guidance and understanding at each step of the legal process. Whether you’re looking to navigate probate administration, protect your assets through careful planning, understand partition actions, or resolve issues with surplus funds, our articles are designed to empower you with practical advice, legal insights, and actionable steps. Stay informed and feel confident as you make decisions about your estate and legal matters.
North Carolina Probate FAQ: What Documentation Should an Executor Gather to Respond to a Creditor’s Settlement Demand? Detailed Answer When a creditor contacts you, the personal representative (executor or administrator) of a North Carolina estate must decide whether to pay, negotiate, or reject the claim. Good decisions start with good records. Below is a checklist…
Executor’s Guide to Challenging a Creditor Claim for Predatory Lending in North Carolina Probate Detailed Answer When a lender files a claim against an estate, the personal representative (called an executor when there is a will) has the statutory duty to accept or reject that claim within 90 days of presentation. North Carolina’s probate code,…
Accessing and Withdrawing Funds From a Deceased Person’s Bank Account in North Carolina Detailed Answer In North Carolina, money held solely in a decedent’s name becomes part of the probate estate. No one may legally withdraw those funds until they obtain authority from the Clerk of Superior Court or meet a statutory exemption. Attempting to…
North Carolina Probate Costs—A Complete Breakdown Detailed Answer When a loved one dies, the personal representative (called the executor under a will or administrator when there is no will) quickly discovers that probate is not free. North Carolina law sets several mandatory charges and allows other discretionary expenses. Together, they make up the total cost…
What Steps Are Needed to Seek Guardianship or a Conservatorship for an Incapacitated Relative in North Carolina? Detailed Answer In North Carolina, the legal tool used to protect an incapacitated adult is called “guardianship.” A Guardian of the Estate performs the same financial-management role that some states label “conservatorship.” Below is a plain-English walk-through of…
How to Locate and Verify Original Wills and Codicils Before Opening Probate in North Carolina Why the Original Matters The Clerk of Superior Court will not open an estate in North Carolina without either (1) the original will or codicil or (2) a court order admitting a lost or destroyed instrument. Finding the genuine, signed…
Which Documents and Certificates Should Be Collected to Begin Estate Administration in North Carolina? Detailed Answer Before the Clerk of Superior Court will issue Letters Testamentary (when there is a Will) or Letters of Administration (when there is no Will), the proposed personal representative must supply a core set of papers that prove three things:…
Detailed Answer Keeping the lights on while a loved one’s estate moves through North Carolina probate can feel overwhelming. The good news is that state law provides clear rules — and several practical tools — for paying funeral costs, debts, and day-to-day bills without putting the personal representative at risk. 1. Get Legal Authority First…
What Options Exist for Selling or Transferring Real Property When an Heir Is a Minor Child and Cannot Consent? Detailed Answer North Carolina law recognizes that children under 18 lack legal capacity to sign deeds or settlement agreements. When an estate includes real estate that passes to, or is co-owned by, a minor heir, any…
Quick Answer In North Carolina, when a life-insurance policy has no living or named beneficiary, the proceeds are paid to the decedent’s estate. The personal representative (executor or administrator) must collect the funds, pay estate debts in the statutory order, and distribute what is left to heirs under the will or the intestacy statutes. If…
How Can a Beneficiary Compel an Estate Administrator to Pay an Inheritance Share in North Carolina? Quick Overview North Carolina probate law gives every beneficiary the right to demand an accounting and, when the estate is ready, force payment of a lawful inheritance share. If polite requests fail, you may petition the Clerk of Superior…
North Carolina Intestate Succession: What Happens When There Is No Will, No Spouse, and Two Children? Detailed Answer When someone who was domiciled in North Carolina dies without a valid will (dies “intestate”), the North Carolina Intestate Succession Act—N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 29, Article 1—determines who inherits the probate estate. 1. Order of Inheritance Because the decedent…
North Carolina Probate FAQ — Serving as Personal Representative Short Answer In North Carolina, an heir applies to serve as the personal representative by filing a sworn Application for Letters with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the decedent lived, supplying the death certificate, an estimate of the estate’s value, and any…
Detailed Answer When a North Carolina resident dies intestate—meaning without a valid will—the North Carolina Intestate Succession Act (Chapter 29 of the N.C. General Statutes) decides who receives the estate. If the decedent leaves no surviving spouse and three living children, the law divides the probate estate equally among those children. Key Statutes G.S. 29-15 –…
North Carolina Slayer Statute: How Killing the Decedent Stops an Heir From Inheriting Detailed Answer North Carolina’s “Slayer Statute” (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 31A-4 through § 31A-15) prevents a person who wilfully and unlawfully kills another from receiving any financial benefit from the victim’s death. In probate terms, the killer—called the “slayer”—is treated as though…
How Title Transfers for an Inherited Home With No Will and Multiple Heirs in North Carolina Detailed Answer 1. Intestate Succession Sets the Starting Point When someone dies without a will, North Carolina’s Intestate Succession Act (Chapter 29) decides who inherits. The statute creates a priority list—spouse, children, parents, siblings, and so on. If more than…
Co-Owner Rights When One Heir Wants to Live in the Inherited Home and Another Wants to Sell Quick Answer In North Carolina, heirs who take title to real estate through probate usually hold the property as “tenants in common.” Each tenant in common has the same basic rights: (1) equal access to the whole property,…
Medicaid Estate Recovery in North Carolina: Step-by-Step Guide for Heirs Detailed Answer When a North Carolina resident received Medicaid benefits after age 55, the State must try to recoup those costs from the person’s probate estate after death. This process is called Medicaid Estate Recovery and is carried out by the Division of Health Benefits…
Medicaid Hardship Waiver in North Carolina – Protecting an Inherited Home from Estate Recovery Detailed Answer When a North Carolina Medicaid recipient dies, the State may seek reimbursement for the cost of that person’s care through the Estate Recovery Program (ERP) under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 108A-70.5. The claim attaches to any assets that pass…
Detailed Answer Yes. North Carolina law lets an interested party challenge the clerk of superior court’s order that removes or suspends a personal representative (executor or administrator). The process is two-tiered: Appeal from the clerk to a superior court judge. Most probate matters, including removal, are first heard by the clerk of superior court acting…