Burial Expenses

[jmath1]

Please help! In Alabama, if an estate is being held in probate, is there a law that allows for a percentage of the estate to be released from probate in order to pay for the burial expenses. If there is, what would law would this be listed under? Even if you are not familiar with Alabama laws, but know of a similiar law from another state, that may help me find something here. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[advisor10]

JULY 23, 2001

DEAR JMATH1:

I don't know what the law in Alabama is.

If you know who the official executor of the estate is, ask the executor if there are enough assets in the estate to cover the cost of the funeral expenses, and if there are, then ask the executor to contact the funeral home director (or vice versa) to make arrangements to insure when payment can be made at some future date. Since probate is court process, it is somewhat slow and you can't expect to get immediate payment, but any reasonable funeral director will not mind waiting a week or 2 if they know they will eventually be getting paid.