Hawaii — What Secretary of State / DCCA Paperwork Shows a Deceased Family Member Was the Sole Member of an LLC?
How to Prove a Deceased Family Member Was the Sole Member of a Hawaii LLC This FAQ explains what official records and paperwork banks typically accept to show a family member was the sole member of a Hawaii limited liability company (LLC), and what to do next if the member died. This is general information […]
Read article →Requesting a Probate Accounting in Hawaii: What Beneficiaries Need to Know
How beneficiaries can obtain a court-ordered accounting of estate assets during probate in Hawaii Short answer: Yes. Under Hawaii probate law, beneficiaries and interested persons can ask the probate court to require the personal representative (executor or administrator) to provide an accounting of estate assets and transactions. If the personal representative refuses, the court can […]
Read article →How to Qualify as Administrator of a Sibling’s Estate in Hawaii (Intestate)
Detailed Answer Short overview: If a person dies in Hawaii without a will (intestate), the court appoints a personal representative (often called an administrator) to handle the estate. The court gives priority to certain relatives. A sibling can become the administrator, but only after closer-priority relatives (for example, a surviving spouse, children, or parents) either […]
Read article →Recovering Funeral and Pre‑Settlement Expenses in Hawaii
Detailed Answer Short answer: In Hawaii you can usually recover reasonable funeral expenses and other necessary costs you paid for a deceased person by presenting them as claims against the decedent’s estate. Recovery normally happens through the probate process or, for very small estates, through simplified procedures. You must document the expenses, present them to […]
Read article →Hawaii: Can an Estranged Spouse Claim the Estate If Divorce Was Not Final?
Understanding an Unfinished Divorce and Estate Claims in Hawaii Detailed Answer — how an unfinished divorce affects estate claims in Hawaii If a person dies before a divorce is final, Hawaii law treats that person as still legally married at the time of death. That means the estranged spouse generally remains the legal spouse for […]
Read article →How do I re-record or update a joint survivorship deed after co-owners died in Hawaii (HI)?
Re-recording or Updating a Joint Survivorship Deed After Co-Owners Died — Hawaii Detailed Answer: What to do when co-owners with a joint survivorship deed die (Hawaii) When one or more co-owners named on a deed that includes a right of survivorship die, the surviving owner(s) typically succeed to full ownership automatically by operation of law. […]
Read article →How can I force my sibling to give me a copy of our parents’ estate plan in HI (Hawaii) after he ignored my formal request?
FAQ: Forcing a sibling to give you a copy of your parents’ estate plan in Hawaii Quick answer If your parents are alive, you generally cannot force your sibling to hand over a private estate planning document unless your parents authorize disclosure or a court orders it. If a parent has died, or a sibling […]
Read article →What can I do if the personal representative sends me a payment without explaining how my share was calculated? (HI)
Detailed answer — what to do when you receive a payment with no explanation from the personal representative Short answer: In Hawaii the personal representative (executor or administrator) must act as a fiduciary and generally must keep beneficiaries informed and account for estate actions. If you get a distribution without any explanation of how your […]
Read article →What documentation is required to prove I'm the next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate? (HI)
Detailed Answer: Proving Next-of-Kin and Qualifying as Administrator in a Reopened Estate (Hawaii) Short answer: To show you are the next of kin and to be appointed administrator of a reopened estate in Hawaii, you generally must file a petition with the probate court that includes the decedent’s death certificate, certified documents proving your family […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take when the original estate administrator has died before completing the probate in Hawaii (HI)
Detailed Answer When the person who was serving as the personal representative (often called an administrator, administratrix, or executor) dies before finishing probate in Hawaii, the court and interested persons must take steps to replace that representative and keep the estate administration moving forward. The summary below explains the common legal and practical steps you […]
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