North dakota estate plan checklist how to#

Probate exists to prevent families from jumping in like a bunch of sharks to claim whatever cars, bank accounts, and other assets a family member had, and to make sure things like a death certificate, funeral arrangements, and estate taxes are handled correctly.Īnd because probate is a legal process- the rules and procedures vary regionally based on local laws, applicable forms & other established practices. It begins with contacting the court and ends with all estate taxes paid, death certificates filed, and assets officially distributed to rightful heirs and surviving family members. Probate can be complicated, but it’s just the legal collecting of everything someone owns and officially giving it to the right people (and giving the government their cut, of course). North Dakota probate is the formal, court-supervised process of carrying out one's last wishes by validating their last will & testament (if any), resolving any outstanding debts or taxes, and distributing any remaining assets to rightful heirs. Now that we have that settled, let’s get specific about probate in North Dakota. You can get that checklist along with an exact idea of everything you need to do when someone passes away right here. That way you know exactly where to begin and when you can call it quits. That’s an enormous amount of time and responsibility, and having a step-by-step list you can just check off as you go along is a godsend. On a broader note, probate is just part of the “estate settlement” process people spend an average of over 500 hours and $15,000 on during the first 18 months after someone dies. Read more: What is Probate, and Do I Even Need It?

North dakota estate plan checklist how to#

It explains if you need a lawyer, how to know if you’re the personal representative or not, and demystifies the process so you can feel confident in your choices.īecause the last thing you want is to go through all of this trouble if you don’t even have to. If probate still confuses the heck out of you (which is completely understandable), then you should read our article about what probate is and whether or not you even need it. So, just to be clear that this is what you need and you aren’t wasting your time, this article is about navigating the probate process in North Dakota, specifically. You have to organize all your loved one’s belongings, read so many forms and sign so many documents you feel like a lawyer, and make sure the pets have a place to stay - it’s a lot, to say the least. When someone you love dies, it can feel like getting a new job. Chances are you’ve got a lot going on at the moment.