At a hearing to appointment a personal representative, if a person objects does the judge automatically appoint a third party?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
At a hearing to appointment a personal representative, if a person objects does the judge automatically appoint a third party?
With a letter of concerns and
documentations to back it up, could the
judge appoint another person as PR or
co-PR or would a third party
automatically be appointed and if bond
was then put into place, what would
that entail?
Asked on February 20, 2018 under Estate Planning, Arizona
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
I am so sorry for your loss and for the situation as it stands. If the PR was named in the Will of the decedent that carries great weight with the court, but it is not to say that the person the Testator thought was qualified is in reality a good choice because circumstances have changed. You need to provide the court will good reasonss and solid proof that the PR named does not have the qualifications for serving. There has to be good "cause" to remove them and that requires proof. For example, mis-managing funds of the decedent when they were alive, stealing from them, etc. The best interests of the estate are always tantamount. Posting a bond allows the beneficiaries some insurance that if the PR does anything wrong they have funds to go after to cover the value of what they are to inherit. Requesting a co-appointment can always be an option if the court agrees there is some validity to your claims but wants to defer to the Testator's request. As you can see this can get somplicated. Take what you have to an attorney for a consultation. It will give you an idea of what your options are. Good luck.
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.