If you are making a will in Greensboro, North Carolina and are using it to pass inheritances, you may want to think about developing an active gift strategy as well. While you can easily develop an estate plan that focuses on giving gifts through inheritances, developing a living gift giving strategy can provide you with some significant tax benefits. You’ll need to speak to your lawyer … read more
Probate
North Carolina Executors Must be Aware of Identity Theft
Anyone managing an estate in North Carolina has a range of duties required of them under North Carolina’s probate laws. Part of these duties include notifying creditors of the decedent’s death, as well as evaluating claims filed against the estate. It’s vital to carefully evaluate all of these claims because some of them may in fact be fraudulent and arise as a result of identity … read more
How Do I Find Out About An Estate?
For many people, the first time they hear about probate court is after a close family member dies and the estate makes its way through the probate process. For these people, as well as for people who may even have some experience with the probate process, the court system can often feel as if it’s a bureaucratic nightmare. But fear not, for the world of probate is so inscrutable if you … read more
Some Estate Planning Issues Are Easy to Overlook
Creating a will in Greensboro, North Carolina, is not typically very difficult. As long as you are honest with your estate planning attorney and know what you want to accomplish, a will is a relatively easy legal document to create. However, there are some issues that many people creating a will sometimes overlook. This is especially true if you use do-it-yourself estate planning and … read more
Who to Choose as Your Estate Representative
Anyone making a will in Greensboro, North Carolina, has the right to choose who will serve as the executor of the estate. The executor, also known as an estate administrator or personal representative, has to be someone who can handle the probate case and represent your interests in front of the clerk of the Superior Court. There are two main options you have when selecting an executor, … read more
North Carolina Probate: Notice To Creditors
If you are considering making a will in Greensboro, North Carolina, you may be curious about how your wishes are carried out after you die. In general, a will sets out your choices about who receives your property, or at least a specific type of your property known as probate property. As part of the probate process, someone will have to represent your state. This person, known as an … read more
Using Jointly Owned Property in North Carolina to Avoid Probate
Many people hear that avoiding probate is a good thing, but they don't really know how it works or what they have to do to make sure property stays out of the probate process. One common way you can avoid probate is to own property jointly with someone else. Joint property is often one of the easiest forms of probate avoidance property to create, though it isn't perfect. Tenancy by … read more
Probate Terminology For the Non-Attorney
You don't have to be well-versed in legalese to be able to create a comprehensive estate plan. Unfortunately, estate planning attorneys sometimes use language with which they are very familiar, even though their clients are not. Sometimes this language can make it hard for clients to know exactly what is going on, so it's always in your best interest to speak up if you aren't familiar … read more
Living Trusts Can Help You Avoid Probate
For many people creating an estate plan, avoiding probate is a major goal. Having your assets transfer to new owners after you die without the requirement of going through probate can save your estate a lot of time and money. It can also offer you the opportunity to keep your affairs entirely private as probate documents are part of the public record and anything that goes on in a … read more
Helping Your Executor Get Started
Let's say you've gone through the trouble of creating an estate plan, made the hard choices about inheritances, and have chosen the right people to serve in important positions. First, congratulations on all your hard work. Second, you've got a little more work ahead of you. When it comes to administering an estate, executors can often spend a lot of wasted time in the early stages if … read more
