Is my step father entitled to my mother's house even though it was only on her name? She died with no will.

As Mr. Brogan intimates, more information is needed to answer your question. Among other things, did your mother and stepfather have a...

Dad died in California. Does a certified RE appraiser need to appraise home or can RE broker do it - for stepped up cost basis?

Most real estate brokers will only give a range of value. If your mother decides to sell the home in 2 or 3 years, how will you report that range...

I agree with both Mr. Doland & Mr. Frederick. I routinely request that the receipt be signed before I send the check. If the beneficiary refuses,...

I plan to stop making payments on my mortgage and walk away from the property in California. Can I just stop paying?

One item that neither of the other 2 attorneys mentioned is the tax consequences of walking away from debt. As a general rule the IRS takes the...

My mother had me as the sole benificiary of her 401K. Is this money protected from a credit card co asking for payment?

Because of the special nature of retirement account assets (and certain other assets), your mother's creditors have no claim against them.

How do we go about getting a power of attorney if he is in jail?

It will be difficult. Perhaps your brother-in-law's attorney can make arrangements to have the document notarized.

International Law-Property Inheritance Question

There is an organization of international estate planning professionals called "STEP" (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners"). The members...

My father had a living trust and a will. Does Will have to be filed in Court - value of his personal property is less than 100K

I'm sorry about your father's death. In California even if someone has a living trust, the California probate code requires that the original of...

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Can personal representative in a probate still get statutory compensation if the estate is insolvent?

I've been involved in an insolvent estate. Frankly, whether you get paid or not will depend on what's owed and to whom. As a practical matter, if...

It does not cost a lot of money to have a probate referee appraise the real property. Their charge is 0.1% (one-tenth of one percent) of the value...