Kentucky: Can I Ask the Court for an Accounting of Estate Assets During Probate?
Frequently Asked Question: Can I ask the court to demand an accounting of all estate assets and transactions during probate? Short answer: Yes. Under Kentucky law, beneficiaries, heirs, and interested parties generally have the right to receive an accounting of the estate during probate. You can request an accounting from the personal representative (executor or […]
Read article →How to Qualify as Administrator of a Sibling's Estate in Kentucky
Detailed Answer Short answer: In Kentucky, if your sibling died without a will (intestate), you can ask the probate court in the county where your sibling lived to appoint you as the administrator (often called a personal representative or administrator). The court will appoint the person with the highest priority among competent adults who apply […]
Read article →Kentucky: Recovering Funeral and Pre-Settlement Expenses from an Estate
Recovering Funeral and Other Pre-Settlement Expenses in Kentucky Probate Short answer: In Kentucky you can often be reimbursed from the decedent’s estate for reasonable funeral, burial, and other necessary expenses you paid before the estate was settled. To preserve your right to repayment you must act promptly: keep receipts, present a written claim to the […]
Read article →Kentucky: When a Divorce Was Not Final — Can an Estranged Spouse Claim Under the Estate?
Detailed Answer Short answer: Yes — if a couple was not legally divorced when one spouse died, the surviving (estranged) spouse remains the legal spouse under Kentucky law and generally keeps the rights of a surviving spouse in the deceased person’s estate. A court will usually treat the estranged spouse as the legal spouse for […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take to re-record or update a joint survivorship deed after co-owners died? (KY)
Detailed Answer Short answer: In Kentucky, when co-owners named on a deed that creates a joint tenancy with right of survivorship die, title generally passes automatically to the surviving joint tenant(s) by operation of law. To make the public record match ownership and to clear title for future sale or financing, the surviving owner(s) should […]
Read article →What can I do if the personal representative sends me a payment without explaining how he calculated my share of the estate? (KY)
Detailed answer — What you can do when a Kentucky personal representative sends a payment but gives no explanation for how your share was calculated When a personal representative (sometimes called an executor or administrator) sends you money from an estate without explaining how they calculated your share, you have several clear rights and practical […]
Read article →What documentation is required to prove I'm the next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate? — KY
Detailed Answer — Proving next of kin and qualifying as administrator in a reopened Kentucky estate Short answer: To prove you are the next of kin and qualify to be appointed administrator of a reopened estate in Kentucky, you will generally need a certified death certificate, primary documents proving your relationship to the decedent (birth […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take when the original estate administrator has died before completing the probate? — KY
How to proceed when the original estate administrator dies before completing probate in Kentucky Short answer: If an estate administrator (personal representative) dies before finishing the administration, you must notify the probate court, file a petition for appointment of a successor personal representative, provide the deceased administrator’s records to the court, and follow the court’s […]
Read article →How can I reopen my father's closed estate in KY so I can be appointed as administrator?
Can a closed Kentucky probate estate be reopened so you can be appointed administrator? Short answer: Yes—under Kentucky probate practice a previously closed estate can sometimes be reopened if there are unresolved assets, mistakes in the accounting, newly discovered assets, or other legal grounds. To be appointed as administrator you would generally file a petition […]
Read article →What happens if the survey shows the property was conveyed out of my mother’s estate decades ago and I have no interest? — KY
Detailed Answer — What it means if a survey and title records show the property left your mother’s estate decades ago Short answer: if the deed that transferred the land was validly executed, delivered, and recorded, and no court later voided that transfer, the property likely no longer belongs to your mother’s estate or to […]
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