What can I do if the personal representative sends me a payment without explaining how he calculated my share of the estate? (WI)
Detailed Answer Short answer: Under Wisconsin law, a beneficiary or heir who receives a distribution from a personal representative (PR) is entitled to an explanation and to documentation showing how that payment was calculated. If the PR will not explain or produce records, you can demand an accounting in writing and, if necessary, ask the […]
Read article →What documentation is required to prove I'm the next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate? – WI
Detailed Answer Short overview. If a Wisconsin probate estate is reopened and you seek appointment as the personal representative (commonly called the administrator when there is no will), the court will want clear, certified proof of your legal relationship to the decedent, evidence that you are entitled to priority under Wisconsin law, and basic identity […]
Read article →How can I reopen my father's closed estate in WI so I can be appointed as administrator?
Can I reopen my father's closed estate in Wisconsin and be appointed administrator? Short answer: Yes — in many situations Wisconsin courts will reopen a closed probate estate when a proper legal ground exists (for example, discovery of previously unknown assets, fraud, or clerical error). To be appointed administrator you must petition the probate court, […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take when the original estate administrator has died before completing the probate? (WI)
Detailed Answer Short answer: If the original estate administrator (personal representative) dies before completing probate in Wisconsin, you must ask the probate court to appoint a successor personal representative. The court will follow statutory priority rules, consider any successor named in the decedent’s will, and require the successor to file necessary paperwork, inventories, and possibly […]
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? (WI)
Detailed Answer Short answer: if a current, recorded deed shows the property was conveyed out of your mother’s estate decades ago, you most likely no longer own the property. But there are important exceptions and steps to take before you assume you have no legal remedy. What the recorded deed usually means A recorded deed […]
Read article →How do I get the probate court’s permission to sell property when the clerk’s office won’t explain filing requirements? (WI)
Getting the probate court’s permission to sell a decedent’s property when the clerk’s office won’t explain filing requirements Detailed answer — what you need to know under Wisconsin law Short answer: You usually need court authorization or a properly executed affidavit to transfer or sell real property owned by a person who died. If the […]
Read article →Can I recover personal items that heirs removed from the house before I took possession and enforce the court’s order? (WI)
Recovering Personal Items Removed by Heirs Before You Took Possession — Wisconsin Guide This FAQ-style guide explains what you can do in Wisconsin if heirs removed personal property from a house before you took possession and whether you can enforce a court order to get it back. This is educational information only — not legal […]
Read article →What steps do I need to follow as executor to sell real property to pay estate debts? (WI)
Detailed Answer — How an executor (personal representative) in Wisconsin sells real property to pay estate debts This answer explains the typical steps a personal representative (often called an executor) follows in Wisconsin when selling real property to pay estate debts. It assumes a straightforward estate administration and uses general Wisconsin probate procedures. This is […]
Read article →What Happens to a Safe Deposit Box After Someone Dies in WI?
Safe Deposit Boxes After Death in Wisconsin: Who Gets Access and What To Do Detailed Answer — What happens to a safe deposit box when someone dies in Wisconsin? When a person who rented a safe deposit box dies in Wisconsin, the box and its contents usually become part of that person’s estate unless the […]
Read article →When Can an Executor Be Removed in Wisconsin (WI)?
Detailed Answer — When Can an Executor (Personal Representative) Be Removed in Wisconsin? Short answer: In Wisconsin a court can remove a personal representative (often called an executor when appointed by a will) whenever the representative fails to discharge fiduciary duties, becomes incapacitated, engages in misconduct (including fraud or stealing estate assets), has a disabling […]
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