Estate Administration Lawyer in Duplin County

Contact an Experienced Duplin County Estate Planning Attorney

Have you been named Executor or administrator of a decedent's estate? You will likely have many questions about the probate process in North Carolina. At Hunter & Price, P.A., our goal is to offer resourceful information that can be used as a legal guide through each stage of your case. Our Kenansville lawyers can assist you in each step of the estate administration process.

As you begin to prepare accounts or complete the forms associated with your loved one's death, we can advise you on the various associated legal issues. Prior to any disbursement of funds from the estate, we encourage you to speak with an attorney from our firm to make sure that you satisfactorily meet all fiduciary duties.

Executor Vs. Administrator

If your loved one has passed with a last will and testament, that individual has died testate. In this circumstance, the person who administers his or her estate is call the Executor. Individuals who die without a last will and testament are considered to have died intestate. If your loved one has passed away intestate, the person charged with administering his or her estate is called the administrator. In either circumstance, this person, often referred to generally as the Personal Representative, will have specific duties that must be fulfilled.

Get Help from Our Experienced Estate Planning Attorneys

Schedule an assessment with our firm to begin putting our skills to work for you. Since often estate plans don't end up working as anticipated by the client at the time it was done, we offer a comprehensive approach to estate planning designed to ensure your property is properly distributed upon your death or incapacity according to your specific desires and wishes.

Estate planning should include the drafting of a power of attorney. When an individual becomes ill or incapacitated, another person must step in to handle his or her legal and financial matters. Before that circumstance arises, you can take action to give that authority to an individual of your choosing. Power of attorney documents are a great way to manage your finances and assets in the event of incapacity. Our firm can also help you fulfill your duties as the individual named within the power of attorney (known as the Attorney-in-Fact).

We Recommend Docubank!

In order to make sure that your loved ones or medical providers have access to your estate planning documents when needed, we recommend using Docubank!

Have You Prepared for Your Future?

If you need to begin Medicaid planning to ensure that you will satisfy eligibility criteria for that program and to plan for the likelihood that you or your loved one will need long-term care, we can help you navigate the complex legal procedure. Mediciad is a government assistance program that can aid individuals who are in need of long-term care in a nursing or skilled-care facility. We can help ensure that you meet all necessary requirements to be qualified. Rules for this program are complicated, which is why it is beneficial to enlist our help as your guide.

We can also discuss the appointment of a guardian. There are three types of guardianship in North Carolina that the court may determine appropriate legal solutions for your case. Guardian of the person is an individual appointed to make everyday decisions regarding caring for and having custody of the actual person who is the subject of the guardianship (usually an incompetent, elderly person, or minor).

Guardian of the estate is an individual appointed to manage the assets of the ward. General guardianship is the appointment of a guardian of the person and a guardian of the estate to fill both roles on behalf of the ward. We can help you obtain guardianship over a loved one and ensure that you fulfill all of your legal duties to the ward in your position as guardian.