If your loved one has passed away in Raleigh, North Carolina, you need to be prepared for the probate process. This process is necessary to facilitate the transfer of assets after a person has died. Unless an estate plan was made to allow assets to transfer outside of probate, the probate process will be necessary before any heirs or beneficiaries can take official ownership of the assets that the deceased person has left to them.
Clarity Legal Group provides help making a comprehensive estate plan that would allow your loved ones to avoid the probate process. We can help you to transfer assets through the trust administration process, through pay-on-death accounts, through joint ownership, and using other tools that allow probate to be avoided so heirs or beneficiaries can inherit more quickly and more cost effectively.
We also help you to go through the actual probate process if your loved one has died. We can represent you if you are the executor of an estate who has many responsibilities during probate. You’ll be considered a fiduciary and must fulfill your duties with professionalism as you manage estate assets and move the estate through the probate process. We can also represent heirs or beneficiaries who stand to inherit and anyone who wishes to contest a will because they do not believe it is an accurate reflection of the wishes of the deceased.
To find out more about the assistance we can provide, give us a call to schedule a personalized consultation. You can also read on to find some probate resources that can help you if the deceased lived in the Raleigh area and you will be going through probate proceedings in Raleigh.
Raleigh, NC Probate Proceedings
When a person dies, probate must take place in the county where he or she lived. As a result, when someone dies in Raleigh, NC, probate proceedings will take place in the Wake County Court system in District 10.
You can find helpful resources related to probate proceedings on the Wake County Court website. According to the website, the Clerk of the Superior Court serves as the judge of probate and has exclusive jurisdiction over cases that involve administering estates or probating wills. The Clerk can also appoint a personal representative, and can monitor the personal representative as he or she oversees the probate process.
You can find out more information about the probate process in Wake County by visiting the court’s website or by scheduling an appointment to meet with a clerk. You can also submit filings by mail to the pro bate court at
Wake County Clerk of Superior Court
Estates Division
PO Box 351
Raleigh, NC 27602
Clarity Legal Group can help you with the process of filing court paperwork and taking other necessary steps to move through probate proceedings.
General Probate Resources in North Carolina
While the first resource to consult is the website of the local Raleigh probate court, there are also other probate resources that can be helpful to you as you learn what probate will entail in North Carolina. For example, some resources that could help you include:
- Chapter 28A of the North Carolina General Statutes: The North Carolina General Assembly has the General Statutes posted online for your reference. Chapter 28A is the part of the North Carolina General Statutes that addresses the Administration of Decedents’ Estates. You can find definitions applicable to the probate process, information on the Clerk and Assistant Clerk of the Superior Court, details about commencing estate proceedings, information about the role of executor, all of the rules that apply during the probate process and much more. The statutes within Chapter 28A detail exactly how probate is required to work when someone has died in the state of North Carolina.
- North Carolina Bar Association information on wills and other estate planning matters: The North Carolina Bar Association put together a detailed pamphlet that outlines many of the key issues that North Carolina residents need to be aware of when it comes to probate and estate planning. You can find out details about dealing with incapacity, as well as information about exactly how the probate process works and what occurs after someone has died.
Taking advantage of these resources can be very helpful to give you an introduction to probate and to help you to develop a basic understanding of how the probate process will unfold in North Carolina as you are going through the process. However, understanding and interpreting the law can be complicated and there could be serious consequences if you do not fulfill your duties as an executor of an estate or if you do not monitor the probate process as one of the potential heirs or beneficiaries to ensure that your inheritance is protected.
Clarity Legal Group can assist you in understanding and fulfilling your rights and your obligations when you are involved in probate. The best resource is a lawyer who is familiar with your case and who can provide the advice that is relevant to your particular situation.
Getting Help from a Raleigh, NC Probate Lawyer
The probate process can be very stressful, as it is difficult to cope with unfamiliar legal situations when you are also trying to deal with the aftermath of a loved one. You owe it to yourself and to the deceased to get the help you need to ensure probate goes smoothly so you can transfer assets as quickly and cost effectively as possible in accordance with the wishes of the deceased.
To find out more about how our firm can help you with probate issues and other estate law matters, give us a call at 919-484-0012 or contact us online today. We can provide a full array of elder law and probate services within Raleigh including making an estate plan to allow your loved ones to avoid the probate process or going through probate to transfer wealth. Just reach out to a Raleigh probate lawyer at our firm to learn about the compassionate and knowledgeable legal assistance we can offer you.
