If my father in law died and we paid for funeral, how do we get money that was in his checking account without using a lawyer?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If my father in law died and we paid for funeral, how do we get money that was in his checking account without using a lawyer?
Asked on November 3, 2013 under Estate Planning, Kentucky
Answers:
Anne Brady / Law Office of Anne Brady
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
If your father-in-law's bank account had a pay-on-death designattion, or if it was held with someone else as joint tenants with rights of survivorship, then that pay-on-death designee or joint tenant can take a copy of the death certificate to the bank and get the money. If not, then the checking account is a probate asset and the will is going to have to go through probate before anyone can get that money. If there is no will, then the assets will pass by way of his state's laws of intestate succession.
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.