Need some advice sixpackers. So, my mother passed away unexpectedly last week and we’re preparing for her funeral in the next few days. All the responsibilities fall on my sister and I. Being that this is the first time I’ve had to deal with something like this, could any of you that has been through this offer some advice on what to do going forward. A little background: she was 67 and had a few minor health issues but nothing that should have contributed to her death. As far as we know she didn’t have a Will. We’re not even sure if she had life insurance. She has been divorced for many years, so all her belongings will go to me and my sister. There will be no argument between us as to who gets what. We’ve agreed we both want to sell her house and car and will be donating most of her belongings to goodwill and places like that. For those who have been through this before, is there anything you wish you would have done differently? We’re planning on hiring a lawyer who handled my grandfather’s estate a few years ago to help us navigate all the legal hurdles of getting her house and car in our name. I’m not looking for sympathy on a sports message board. Just wanting some advice since this is my first time dealing with this and I have no clue what I’m doing. As always, Go Dawgs.
OT: Parent Passing Away
- Thread starter SuspectZero
- Start date
Sorry for your loss. Go through her stuff (documents) carefully. If there was insurance, there will be a paper somewhere. Talk to whatever bank she used and see if there was a safe deposit box and a savings account or investment account. Look at her checking records to see what she was cutting checks to. There might be an insurance company there. Probate can be difficult. Good luck. Sadly, anything from the bank may require a lawyer and judge to open to daylight.
Unfortunately lost my wife a little over 2 years ago and live in Ga so obviously different but the first 2 things I’d do is get a lawyer who deals with this type situation and as soon as possible get access to al, her financial records, accounts etc. Find out what bills/payments you are legally obligated to pay. Our major credit cards were in my wife’s name and when I called they immediately closed the accounts and informed me i was not responsible for paying, they wrote it off.
Sorry for your loss, prayers sent.
Sorry for your loss, prayers sent.
Sorry for your loss. Lost my mother in 2017. The one thing I learned which could help your kids or family in the future. Downsize your belongings.
It’s hard for grieving family members to have to make decisions on what to keep, donate, and throw away. It’s mentally and emotionally draining. The more you have the more stress it adds.
It’s hard for grieving family members to have to make decisions on what to keep, donate, and throw away. It’s mentally and emotionally draining. The more you have the more stress it adds.
There is no telling how many small life insurance policies that are never cashed in.
Get 10-12 death certificates. I had to produce original death certificates for everything. Cancling her sat TV, cutting off her water eventhough the girl at the water dept went to high school with me and attended her funeral. Anything that she had set up as Auto Pay bill wise will require a death certificate as well. This was the biggest hurdle that we faced.
If your Late Mother's county of residence is large enough to have a lawyer who specializes in administrations/probate/estate planning, get an appointment as soon as the death certs show up. Not all of the decedent's assets will necessarily be included as "estate assets," meaning that, if your late Mom's situation is typical, not everything will have to go through the administration process. You would be helped by a lawyer who regularly practices in this area in determining first whether the value of the assets that legally must move through the administration process is sufficient to justify the cost of the administration. FYI, Administrations (the process used when the decedent has no last will and testament) always cost more.
Better ask the funeral home how much they charge for a death certificate. Funeral home that was handling my FIL charged $25 for each death certificate. I got one and scanned it so I could print out however many were needed.
Insurance companies in NCIS states must locate the owners of unclaimed cash value. Thye do a good job of it but there is still a bunch of money out there.
A lot of place will not accept a copy, or so they say. When my Mom died the first certificate was like $25 but each successive certificate was $8 if I remember correctly.
Unless your mother has an estate larger than 11,400,000.00 she does not have a estate problem. That is her personal exclusion. No estate tax issue. When you die your will says who gets what. A spouse cannot be disinherited. They are entitled to 50%. The children are entitle to the other 50% if there is no will. They will also get what is willed to them from will if there was a will. If there is a revocable trust the trust documents will say what happens to the estate and there is no probate. The spouse can be left out with a trust. If it is a irrevocable trust and the person who died has been living for three years after the irrevocable trust was set up his estate does not exist for estate tax purpose . This type of trust keeps estate out of probate as well. Also if there is life insurance the death benefit will be counted in the estate.
Sounds to me you only have a probate problem and you might want to talk to a probate lawyer to make sure it is done right. Also one of you are going to have to managed the probate and it is a *****.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and every state have some things different with the probate laws.
Sounds to me you only have a probate problem and you might want to talk to a probate lawyer to make sure it is done right. Also one of you are going to have to managed the probate and it is a *****.
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and every state have some things different with the probate laws.
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Lost my dad back in 2003 very unexpectedly. We were driving home from a surgery he had and a blood clot went to his lungs and killed him on the side of the road. It looks like everybody else is handling the business end of it so here's my advice for the emotional end. The next few days and weeks will be emotional roller coasters. You'll be laughing about a funny memory and then be balled up on the floor barely able to breathe. The biggest advice I can give is to grieve on your time and in your way. Two weeks from now don't let anybody tell you it's time to move on. Don't be forced into putting on a brave face if you're not ready. At some point down the road you'll go to bed one night and it will hit you that you didn't break down crying that day. I'm 17 years down the road and something will still trigger an emotion that brings that day back like it was yesterday. One other thing I'm dealing with. There are still things I carry a lot of guilt over before he died. We had a great relationship, but there will always be those I wish I had done this or said that. Try not to let those things get the best of you. If you do, it will eat you alive. I know.
