BEREAVEMENT: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

June 2023. Q: My Mom just died this morning. I have no idea what to do next. Can you help? A: I’m so sorry. Thank you for calling. The first thing to do is arrange the funeral and lay her to rest. If she left prearrangements or instructions, that makes things easier;...

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED – MAY ’23

May 2023. I’m making my daughter my executor and power of attorney. How do I make things easy for her? Make a list of your assets and liabilities like credit cards and mortgage, your accounts and their custodians – banks, brokers, benefits department – and your other...

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED – NOV ’22

November 2022. Q: My Dad died and his will says I get everything. Can I just go to the Register of Wills to get his bank accounts and car? Can I go to the courthouse to change the deed? A: For better or worse, it’s not that easy. This isn’t like the MVA, where you go...

PROBATE AVOIDED

By Tim Barkley. October 2021. We all sat down, appropriately distanced at opposite ends of the conference table. They began: “Our folks both died earlier this year, and we’re trying to sort things out. We really don’t know where to start.” “Sorry to hear,” responded...

UNHAPPY CAMPERS

By Tim Barkley. March 2021. Probate is the new family law. Old family dynamics suddenly surface or intensify after the parents are deceased. When Mom or Dad are gone and won’t be grieved or angered by the display of animosity or angst, the simmering sepsis of sibling...