Executor Codicil

[jwware]

Tennessee;
My Aunt died leaving a 20 year old will. The Primary Executor is deceased; the Secondary Executor is deceased; The Third Executor is a Bank, which has been bought out. In 1993 she hand wrote a Codicil to the Will Naming a Cousin and myself as Co-Executors of her estate. It is signed and dated by her, but not Witnesses. She also wrote the same information on the back of the original Will, but not signed. Most of her estate is fairly liquid and won't be a problem to disperse. However, she has a vehicle, we will need to sell and a Bank account that we will need to consolidate into an existing account that had my Aunt and myself as signators. How do I proced to get the Codicil accepted, so that I can begin exercizing my responsibilites to the Estate ? JW

 

[ALawyer]

A Will, and any Codicil, must be done in lethe issue isgal form to be admissible. It seems as if the Will was in proper form, and thus far the bank -- the one that succeeded the named bank -- would be executor. Now the issue is was the Codicil in proper form. In some states a Will or Codicil entirely in the deceased's own handwriting is acceptable without witnesses; in other states handwritten or holographic Wills are NOT acceptable unless witnessed.

Get a lawyer to help you probate the Will and Codicil.