Monthly Archives: July 2010


July 28, 2010

Probate Court Fees in North Carolina

By Sabrina Winters

For those of you who still aren’t convinced that avoiding Probate should be a priority, here is a link (http://tinyurl.com/probatefees) to the list of fees that the North Carolina Probate Court charges for various documents, filings and actions in a probate matter.  By they way, some were just raised…again.  When calculating fees, don’t forget to [...]

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Posted in Estate Planning, Last Will and Testament, Probate Process, trusts | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
July 23, 2010

What is a Letter Testamentary/Letter of Administration?

By Sabrina Winters

If you have been nominated in a person’s Last Will and Testament as the Executor (the person whom collects the assets and distributes them and manages the estate) you will not be able to perform your duties unless you have been appointed by the Court as the Executor.  Your appointment is reflected through the Letter [...]

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Posted in Estate Planning, Executor Responsibilities, Last Will and Testament, Probate Process Tags: , , , , , , | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
July 19, 2010

The Difference Between Ownership Via Joint Tenancy and a Living Revocable Trust

By Sabrina Winters

Recently, one of my clients asked about joint tenancy ownership, as they had put their children on the deed to their home in joint tenancy.  It got me to thinking about the different forms of ownership and how to explain why you would want to consider holding your assets in a living trust instead of [...]

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Posted in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , | Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0)
July 13, 2010

How family values factor into an Estate Plan

By Sabrina Winters

My girl friend recently tried to make homemade tomato sauce.  I don’t mean opening a can of purée and adding some seasonings.  I mean using tomatoes fresh off the vine  from her back yard, boiling, peeling and cooking them.  It is some chore, but when it is all said and done, it is mouth watering!  [...]

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July 5, 2010

10 Events that Signal a Review of your Living Trust

By Sabrina Winters

You get married or divorced Your spouse dies or becomes incapacitated You have a new grandchild Your child marries or divorces Your child becomes ill or disabled One of your beneficiaries proves to be financially irresponsible You retire from your business or profession You acquire property in or move to a different state The value [...]

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Posted in Estate Planning, trusts Tags: , | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)
July 1, 2010

Top 4 Beneficiary Issues to Consider with your Retirement Accounts

By Sabrina Winters

Have you checked your beneficiary designation for your retirement account recently? If not, you may find that your designated beneficiary is not who or what you think it should be, especially if you have divorced, remarried or had children since your retirement plan account was established. 1.  Outdated Beneficiary Designations There have been numerous cases [...]

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Posted in Beneficiary Designations, Estate Planning, Retirement Accounts, trusts Tags: , , , , | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)