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Have you heard of “Living Probate?”

7/11/2017

7 Comments

 
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Many people have heard of a “living will” (medical document dictating what happens if you are ill and will not recover) and a “living trust” (revocable trust utilized during your lifetime), but most people have never heard of “living probate” because it is a new concept in North Carolina.

Probate is the process whereby your estate is settled after you pass away, and along with that is a determination by the Court that your will is valid (if you have one).  With “living probate,” a court will make a determination that your will is valid while you are alive.  Thus, “living probate” is a tool for people to use who are worried that someone is going to challenge their will after they die.

Common will challenges include lack of capacity or undue influence.  For example, a sick elderly woman who has decided to cut out her estranged son from her will may be worried that when she dies, the son is going to challenge the will on the grounds that she lacked capacity due to her age or health.  Unfortunately, she cannot testify at that potential hearing because she has passed away, so the parties will rely on the testimony of those who knew her.   With “living probate,” she can testify while she is still living.  The court is in the best position to assess her capacity at that time.

Another example: a man has children who live in another state and a female caretaker in North Carolina.  He decides to leave the caretaker $20,000 because of her friendship, although he is still providing for his children in his will.  After he dies, his children will find out about this gift in the will and if they are upset, they may claim the caretaker asserted influence over their father.  To prevent this potential claim, the man could go through “living probate” and show the court that there is not, in fact, any undue influence.
 
Downsides to “living probate:”
​

1. There’s the expense of going through this process when it may be unnecessary.  The heirs may never challenge the will.  The estate still has to be probated upon passing either way. 

2.  Disinherited heirs will find out that they have been disinherited because they have to be made a party to the proceeding.

3.  Along these same lines, the will is public record while you’re still alive instead of only after your death.

4.  The North Carolina law does not apply to trusts yet, so theoretically, a trust could still be challenged.

5.  Depending on the circumstances, once the will is validated through “living probate,” the court may not allow for revocations or amendments to the will (but this is supposedly rare).

6.  Only the testator can start this process – a guardian or agent under a power of attorney cannot seek to have a will validated through “living probate,” even if the testator had capacity at the time signed.

Upsides:  The testator will know that their wishes will be carried out.  They will know without any doubt that their property is being disposed of according to their wishes.  They can rest knowing that their loved ones and the executor of their estate will not be left with a dispute when they pass away or the expense of defending a will challenge.

If you or a loved one has concerns about future will challenges and would like to discuss this option with an attorney, please give Jesson & Rains a call.
7 Comments
Tori Raddison link
3/9/2020 04:09:31 pm

Thanks for explaining that a living will is for if you get ill and won't recover because my mom told me she's been thinking of getting one. She's really sick and she's losing hope of getting better. I'll have to tell her about what I learned here so she can make the best choices.

Reply
Beverly Minyard link
7/30/2021 02:08:37 pm

I didn't know that probate is how your estate gets settled after you die. My mom was talking about how she needed to get hers set up. Thank you for clearing up the confusion for me.

Reply
Kelly Jesson
7/30/2021 04:28:33 pm

Beverly, if your mom is in NC give us a call at 704-444-0594.
Thank you for commenting!

Reply
Eve Mitchell link
8/17/2021 12:33:29 pm

I appreciate that you mentioned that living probate is for people who are worried someone will challenge their will after they die. I have been thinking about having living probate because I have a sister who is pretty jealous of my possessions. I would like to make sure that my kids get what they deserve, so I'll think about hiring a lawyer for this process.

Reply
Kelly Jesson
8/19/2021 04:28:41 pm

Thank you for commenting! If you are in NC and we can assist, please give us a call 704-444-0594.

Reply
Jessie Holloway link
10/21/2022 10:15:30 am

Thanks so much for explaining what probate is and what it does. My uncle recently passes and his will was incomplete. His kids are going through a probate case to help them distribute his estate and other assets that weren't included. We'll have to look into hiring a lawyer to help them through the process.

Reply
Kelly Jesson
12/6/2022 05:40:26 pm

Thank you for your comment Jessie, if you are located in NC please contact our office at 704-444-0594.

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  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    • Wills and Trusts
    • Business Law & Litigation
    • Construction Contracts and Litigation
  • Team
    • Edward Jesson - Attorney
    • Kelly Rains Jesson - Attorney
    • Danielle Nodar - Associate Attorney
    • Sue Lambert - Office Manager
    • ​Ashley Deese ​- Paralegal
    • Shayla Martin - Legal Assistant
  • News & Blog
    • COVID-19 Resources
  • Contact
  • Testimonials
  • Free Resources
    • Business Resources
    • Estate Planning Resources
    • Probate Resources