Probate Questions & Answers by State

Probate Questions & Answers

Q: What type of lawyer would I need

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 24, 2016

Best to speak with a criminal attorney to find out the procedure to get your money back without incurring any criminal liability.
View More »

Q: Thank you for your response . The estate does not have the cash and neither does my sister and i to pay the probate.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 24, 2016

It's the estate that owes the costs of probate. It's possible to get a loan against the home to pay for the probate action and any other creditors of the estate. Otherwise, you'll have to sell assets to pay for the probate costs and any other creditors of the estate. You'll want to get this started sooner rather than later.
View More »

Q: My mom died 4-9-2016. She left a will stating that all is to be divided equally between my sister and i.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Probate and Real Estate Law for California on
Answered on Apr 23, 2016

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. If the home was in your mother's name, then the only way to pass the property is through a probate action. If the only asset is the $700,000 townhouse, then the attorney's fees are set by statute at $17,000 and add on another $1,500 to $2,000 for court costs, publication, appraiser, etc. These fees are paid out of the estate, or if the estate doesn't have any cash, then the heirs can pay the fees.
View More »

Q: My mom died 4-9-2016. She left a will stating that all is to be divided equally between my sister and i.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Tax Law and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 23, 2016

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. If the home was in your mother's name, then the only way to pass the property is through a probate action. If the only asset is the $700,000 townhouse, then the attorney's fees are set by statute at $17,000 and add on another $1,500 to $2,000 for court costs, publication, appraiser, etc. These fees are paid out of the estate, or if the estate doesn't have any cash, then the heirs can pay the fees.
View More »

Q: My mom intended to leave me her house and started the paper but was not noterized. Can I still get the house. No estate

1 Answer | Asked in Probate and Real Estate Law for California on
Answered on Apr 22, 2016

If your mother has passed away while owning a house, then the only way to transfer the house is some kind of probate action. Contact an attorney to assist you with this matter.
View More »

Q: my dad just passed his body is still at hospital,i am the only child,my aunt sats she has a will and power of attn.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning, Probate and Real Estate Law for Oregon on
Answered on Apr 21, 2016

Then find an attorney to start the process. Your aunt would not longer have power of attorney, but she might mean she is the adminstrex of the estate.
View More »

Q: After my father passed away he received the last check from his mother's estate (my grandmother)

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for Colorado on
Answered on Apr 20, 2016

I cannot comment on Indiana law, but I can comment on Colorado law. The estate rules for this matter should be very similar between states. In Colorado, the check from the grandmother's estate should be deposited in the father's estate (esp. if the estate is still in probate). Then the check should be paid out per will/instate rules ALONG with all other property from the father's estate as the estate is closed. DO NOT distribute the check early. If you or your sister need the money or the...
View More »

Q: Q: Are my siblings entitled to receive a portion of money if my father has cashed a life insurance after my mother death

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 18, 2016

It sounds like your father was the beneficiary of the life insurance proceeds and as such, no one else is entitled to a portion of those proceeds. Who takes care of the children is irrelevant.
View More »

Q: "apparently" there is no will left by my mom. she WAS living in dallas texas, but was then diagnosed w/ leukemia. :(

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 18, 2016

The probate of your mother's estate must be where she lived when she died, which from your description would be Oklahoma.
View More »

Q: How do i find out if I was left on the will that my great-grandmother left. I have little communication with them.

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 18, 2016

If you are a beneficiary of the will, then you are entitled to a copy of it. Search the probate court records in the county where your great-grandmother lived to see if a probate action has been opened.
View More »

Q: My father died in with a trust in place. I found a $10,000 savings account not in the trust and no beneficiary

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Nevada on
Answered on Apr 16, 2016

If $10,000 is the only amount that is outside the trust, Google Probate Court, Clark County Nevada, and you will find a page with forms including an Affidavit of Entitlement (that should be good in any Nevada County) which you can use.
View More »

Q: For an estate in probate, do all household items need to be included on an asset list or only items over a certain value

1 Answer | Asked in Probate on
Answered on Apr 16, 2016

As a Nevada lawyer I cannot speak to the practice in New York. In Nevada I rarely inventory household items because in the average case they really don't have much value over the cost of selling them. In Nevada the three siblings could sign paperwork to the effect that the household items are of no value or have a specified value and the three siblings are agreed among themselves how to divide up the household items.
View More »

Q: Where will should be probated?

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Nevada on
Answered on Apr 16, 2016

I don't know all the facts but this may be helpful. Real estate must always be probated in the state where it exists. Other property must be probated in the state where the Decedent was a resident when he died. This means that sometimes there has to be a probate in more than one state. If a will was filed in a different state than the state where a probate needs to take place, then you order a certified copy of the will from the state court where it was filed and the state where the next...
View More »

Q: Hello, I'm in Reno Nevada

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law and Probate for Nevada on
Answered on Apr 16, 2016

Courts generally are not interested in what wishes a person expressed. However if your mother died unmarried under the laws of intestate succession her property including her home would go to her children in a probate proceeding. If you wish to start a probate proceeding and your step father won't vacate the property you will want to hire local Reno counsel who can do both probate for you and get a court order to evict your step-father. Of course, you may be able to work out something with your...
View More »

Q: I live in Az and after probate I have two real properties to put in my name. What does this entail and what is the cost?

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for Nevada on
Answered on Apr 16, 2016

I don't know what you mean by "after probate." If you mean what will it cost to probate two real properties in Nevada the answer is that the cost and complexity of the probate depends on the value of the properties and if it is uncontested or contested. It is really impossible to say what it will cost to do a probate that is contested. For uncontested probates I publish my discount fee schedule on my website www.probatenevada.net. But you would have to call me to discuss the facts of your case...
View More »

Q: I need to subpoena a hospital worker to help testify in court. How do I go about doing that? Thanks

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 16, 2016

Here is a good explanation of the procedure of getting a subpoena (ignore that it discusses small claims): http://www.courts.ca.gov/11162.htm

And here are the forms that you would need to get a subpoena, depending on what type of subpoena you need: http://www.courts.ca.gov/forms.htm?filter=SUB

However, if you are trying to prove the validity of a will, you would want to know the elements of a will and how this witness would be able to help you prove those elements. Competence...
View More »

Q: How can I subpoena a hospital worker to court? Its regarding a contested will matter.

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 14, 2016

You may be able to do it with a declaration or you may have to have the court issue a subpoena. It depends on your evidentiary hearing.
View More »

Q: Probate. If property first transfers to the estate will this effect a parent to child transfer

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 9, 2016

I'm not clear on your question, but I'll try to explain how probate works. When a person dies without a will, all of their property must be gathered and inventoried. A probate action is started to administer the estate. The administrator sends out notices to ascertain any creditors of the estate. Simultaneously, the administrator will ascertain the beneficiaries of the estate. The debts are paid and then the remaining assets are distributed to the heirs of the estate.

If the person...
View More »

Q: stepmom is giving away our deceased father's possessions without giving us the option to have them?How do we stop it?

1 Answer | Asked in Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 8, 2016

The first thing that you do is ask her. If she won't give you property that she is donating to charity, then you can file a petition with the probate court to challenge her actions.
View More »

Q: In the state of CA if the resident dies without a will & was married in China, but not in the USA, does bro receive 1st?

1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning and Probate for California on
Answered on Apr 8, 2016

In California, the surviving spouse receives all of the community property, and a portion of the separate property depending upon the decedent's children. If the marriage was valid in China, then the marriage would be recognized and valid in California.
View More »

Justia Legal Answers is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Legal Answers is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Legal Answers without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.