Estates

It depends on if the person is still living or not. If they are living, there is no requirement that you be allowed to see the will. If they have passed away, the will should be filed in the courthouse and you can obtain a copy.

As an heir, you may not have the right to see the trust documents during the grantor's lifetime, but you may have the right to view the trust after the grantor's death. It is important to consult with an attorney to understand your rights and options regarding the trust.

An irrevocable trust is one in which the settlor (or creator) of the trust does not retain any control of the trust, and thus the trust cannot be amended. The reason that an individual would chose to create an irrevocable rather than revocable trust is that the money cannot be touched by creditors or anyone else. There are also money-saving benefits to the creation of an irrevocable trust primarily relating to probate fees and taxes.

In order to "handle someone's estate' you must be appointed by the probate court as executor if there is a will, or as administrator if there is no will. Once appointed then you have the authority and obligation to pay the debts of the decedent from any assets owned by the decedent. The debts must be paid before any property can be distributed to the heirs.

Only the executor has the authority to liquidate assets of the estate.

Inheritance Tax is paid by the deceased individual's estate. To the degree that an estate's assets are reduced by the payment of inheritance taxes it can be said that heirs "pay" the tax but they are not liable for payment of the tax. An executor/executrix is responsible for determining if taxes are owed, for filing the appropriate tax returns and for making the necessary tax payments. An executor/executix is personally liable should taxes that are owed fail to be paid.

You should consult with an attorney. Some states have strict requirements for disinheriting a child in a will. If it is not done properly the disinherited child can make a claim against the estate and receive a statutory share as though there was no will. If that is the case in your state, the grandchildren would receive their deceased father's share.

The administrator is the person given the responsibility for the estate. They are often referred to as the executor of the estate. The court appoints them to value the estate and settle the debts and to execute the will under the guidance of the court.

As long as the court has approved and the car's price was a fair market value it would be acceptable.

can executive of an estate do whatever she can?

No Georgia does not have an inheritance tax. Only 11 states do have one enacted. Seventeen states have estate taxes, but Georgia is not one of those either.

TOD stands for 'transfer on death'.

TOD is a legal agreement with an entity such as a bank whereby upon the death of the owner of an account ownership bypasses probate and passes directly to beneficiaries. The transfer is made quickly but assets passed through this type of arrangement are subject to estate taxes, if applicable.

Transfer on death (TOD) registration allows you to pass the securities you own directly to another person or entity upon your death bypassing probate.

In Pennsylvania, an executor typically has 9 months from the date of the decedent's death to settle an estate. This includes filing the necessary paperwork, paying debts, distributing assets, and closing the estate. However, extensions may be granted by the court under certain circumstances.

The gift to the (deceased) spouse of your last surviving parent would lapse and the property will pass under the residuary clause in their will. If there is no residuary clause the property will pass to the next of kin as intestate property. You can check the laws of intestacy for your state at the related question link below. You should seek the advice of an attorney who specializes in probate who can review the will and explain your options for settling the estate.

Contact a valid executor to the will.

If the will was probated then it is part of the public record. You can go to the court where the estate was probated and request to see the file.

Laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Most allow a 'holographic' will to be valid. That means that it entirely written out by hand by the testator. While no notarization is required, it would help! But if it is being notarized, it is pretty easy to have a couple witnesses.

You have no right to "borrow" from a future inheritance since an inheritance doesn't exist until the owner of that property dies. However, depending on your circumstances, if the testator is very wealthy, and likes you a lot, they may give you an advance on whatever they plan to leave you in their will.

No. The "heir" has no right to that money whatsoever.

Generally, yes.

Yes, witnesses should know the general nature of the document they are signing and understand that their role is to verify the signatures of the signatories. They do not need to understand every detail of the document's contents, but should be aware that they are witnessing the signing of a legal document.

California does not have an inheritance tax. Only 11 states do have one enacted. Seventeen states have estate taxes, but California does not.

The heirs who want to transfer their interest may do so by a quitclaim deed or deeds. The one who does not want to transfer her interest can retain it.

For example, if Jan, Sandy, Judy and Bob inherited property together Jan and Sandy could transfer their interest to Bob. Bob would then own a 3/4 interest and Judy would own a 1/4 interest. They would need to come to some agreement about expenses. Judy would need to pay a portion of such expenses as insurance, maintenance and taxes since she retained an ownership interest in the property. Judy and Bob would each have the right to the use and possession of the property.

A person's real property and personal propertymakes up what we call their estate.