If my mother recently died without a Will and the bank requires a letter of testamentary for the release of money in her checking account, what can I do for the least cost?
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If my mother recently died without a Will and the bank requires a letter of testamentary for the release of money in her checking account, what can I do for the least cost?
Asked on February 1, 2016 under Estate Planning, Texas
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
Affidavits of heirship are the cheapest and easiest ways to deal with small estates. Some sites offer forms for these affidavits, but it still doesn't hurt to have a regular probate attorney look over your paperwork to make sure that it's don't correctly.
If your mom has a larger estate, then you will need to do a small estate probate. Probate can be expensive... but it can still me accomplished for a relatively small expense if the heirs can agree on what should happen. The more the heirs squabble, the more they will eat into any available assets of the estate. So... a really key component of any estate resolution is simply to get the heirs working on towards the same goal.
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