My friend’s brother has died without a will.
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
My friend’s brother has died without a will.
My friend’s brother has died without a will. She is older and does not have access to the internet so I’m trying to get some info for her. She is in vermont and he was living in washington. She is the only living relative. Is there any way she can resolve this without having to hire a lawyer. She’s on a very low income and as the bank won’t tell me how much money is in the account she’s not sure if she’d be able to pay a lawyer. His bank is not being helpful at all, they just seem to be giving her the run-around.
Asked on June 26, 2009 under Estate Planning, Vermont
Answers:
B. B., Member, New Jersey Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
Your friend needs to be appointed the personal representative of the estate; in most states, this is done by getting what are called letters of administration. It usually requires taking a certified copy of the death certificate to the county courthouse, where the person last lived, filling out some forms and paying a small fee, and it often can be completed in less than an hour. With the letters of administration, she could go to the bank and get the money paid over to her. I'm not a Washington attorney, so I can't tell you how exactly the procedure there might vary in the details.
She'll probably have to go there herself if she doesn't want to hire an attorney.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.