Tag Archives: decedent

Estate Planning

Personal Representatives in Utah

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A personal representative is the name used to refer to the individual who administers the estate of a deceased person. To be eligible to serve as a personal representative, you must be 21 years of age or older, of sound mind, and have no conflicts of interest with the estate.

In some cases, more than one qualified individual may want to serve as the personal representative of an estate. If this occurs, appointment occurs in this order:

  • the person appointed in the will being probated
  • the deceased’s surviving spouse who is an heir of the deceased
  • other devisees of the deceased
  • the surviving spouse of the deceased
  • other heirs of the deceased
  • if no other individual has been appointed within 45 days after the person dies, a creditor can be appointed

It is also possible for an estate to have more than one personal representative serving at the same time. They are referred to as “joint personal representatives” or “co-personal representatives.

Once a personal representative has been appointed, he or she has numerous duties and obligations under the law, including:

  • obtaining control over the estate’s assets
  • preparing an inventory and appraisal of the property owned by the decedent
  • providing financial reports to “interested persons” who request it
  • filing tax returns and paying an taxes due
  • giving notice to creditors
  • paying valid debts of the decedent, including expenses related to administering the estate
  • determining and making the distributions to be made to heirs and beneficiaries
  • Closing the probate action

If you have been appointed as a personal representative and you need help, contact us for help. The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

Estate Planning

Who is Liable for the Debts of a Decedent?

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If you have recently lost a loved one, you may be wondering who is responsible for paying his or her debts. The good news is that nobody is personally liable for another person’s debts (unless you were a co-borrower or co-debtor with the decedent). The law provides that the creditors of a deceased person must be paid out of his or her estate before any distributions can be made to the heirs. This may include selling assets of the decedent in order to pay outstanding debts. Thus, if you take property from the decedent’s estate before all of the debts are paid, you may be liable for paying creditor claims. However, there are some exemptions that allow assets to be distributed to heirs of the Estate even though creditors don’t get paid.

Utah law sets forth the order of priorities for a decedent’s debts as follows:

  1. Reasonable funeral expenses up to $6,000.
  2. Administrative costs and fees, which includes paying the personal representative’s fees and the fees for the estate attorney.
  3. Debts and taxes
  4. Reasonable and necessary medical expenses from last 60 days of the decedent’s last illness.
  5. Family allowance for necessities.
  6. Child support arrearages.
  7. Debts acquired by continuing decedent’s business after his or her death.
  8. All other claims.

After satisfying all prior classes, a class of creditors shall be paid pro rata based upon the claim amounts if there are insufficient estate assets remaining to pay the class in full. Once the debts have been paid, the estate can make distributions to the beneficiaries.

If you have been appointed to administer a loved one’s estate, we can help. We will assist you in not only fulfilling your legal obligations, including paying the debts of the decedent, but we will also help you avoid any legal issues or personal liability.

The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.

 

Estate Planning

Lost Wills

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If you have a loved one die and you know he or she had a will, but you can’t locate it, it can cause confusion. A “lost will” is one that has been misplaced, or it could be one that was destroyed without permission of the decedent. In most cases, if a will cannot be located after an individual dies, the court presumes that it was intentionally revoked or destroyed. Thus, if you are attempting to prove the terms of a lost will, you have the burden of proof to overcome this presumption.

How do you overcome this presumption? You must submit substantial evidence that the will existed and what the content of it was. Typically, a correct copy of the will and testimony of witnesses is sufficient to have the lost will admitted to probate. This is one reason why it can be beneficial to provide copies of your will to your loved ones. Not only does it help them understand your wishes for the administration and distribution of your estate, it makes meeting the burden of proof easier if your original will is lost.

Once the probate of a lost will is started, interested parties may participate in the proceeding. Thus, the more competent evidence you have in establishing the existence of a lost will, the more likely you are to successfully have your loved one’s wishes carried out. Witnesses to the Will provide the best evidence, along with legal counsel who prepared the Will.

Submitting a lost will for probate can be a complicated task, but it can be done. If you need assistance with probating a lost will or other estate planning matters, contact us to schedule your initial consultation.

The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about creating a Trust, Will, or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.