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What to do when a person dies intestate.

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djm53

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA
I am actually writing for a young woman who does not have a computer. She is 20 years old and sole survivor of her father who died suddenly last week. Parents are divorced. She has not been able to find a will. His parents thought he had one as he had told them in the past that they were to oversee his property should he die while his daughter was a minor, until she became of age. He worked for the correctional department and had access to legal aid but they (the correctional department) are telling her they would not have kept anything if it was drawn up through them-(the legal aid department).
The house was purchased from her grandfather so has been in her family quite some time. Her father did have life insurance, has a truck, (which is paid for), has a pop up camper which he owes on and does have a mortgage. She wants to live in the house as he had wished and wants to keep the camper and of course the truck. Other than this it doesn't look like he has any debt.

What must she do to have her name changed on these properties? Is there a time limit to do all of this. She doesn't have money for legal council. (just an FYI) Can you help?
Thank you so much for this service and your help.
Jo
 


anteater

Senior Member
With real estate involved she is going to have to go through the probate process. If she is the named beneficiary of the life insurance, she should submit the claim to the life insurance company to gain some cash. Is there anything else on which she might be the named beneficiary? A retirement plan?

If not, she should still ask some attorneys for consults. It's likely that she find an attorney who will not require an upfront payment.

I did a quick Googling on probate in VA. This York County site popped up. I am certain that there are others that can provide an overview of the process.

PROBATE IN VIRGINIA

The VA Bar Association may be even better:

http://www.vba.org/admdecest.htm
 
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djm53

Junior Member
Probates

Is the probate process something that one can do without a lawyer? She is named as beneficiary on a retirement plan; haven't found out about the life insurance policy yet. :confused::

Thanks.
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
Is the probate process something that one can do without a lawyer? She is named as beneficiary on a retirement plan; haven't found out about the life insurance policy yet. :confused::

Thanks.
**A: tell the young woman don;t even try it. She'll be an old woman when it's all over.
 

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