Estate Administration and Probate Attorneys in Mooresville & Iredell County, North Carolina

In Need of an Estate Administration and Probate Attorney in Mooresville, NC?

At Daly Mills Estate Planning, our Lake Norman area estate administration and probate attorneys represent clients throughout the state of North Carolina, because it is also our home.

Our lead estate planning and elder law attorney, Danielle Feller, is a local North Carolinian at heart. The daughter of a Mooresville Graded School District member, Ms. Feller graduated from Mooresville High School and attended both undergraduate and law school in Raleigh before moving back to Iredell County to further her law career by developing important legal solutions for those in her community.

It is also where our attorney Miranda Mills was born and raised, home to her Alma Mater, the Wake Forest University School of Law, and where her parents and family live.

Alongside our team of skilled Mooresville estate administration and probate lawyers at Daly Mills Estate Planning, we provide the customized resources and individual attention each client needs to secure their futures for themselves and their loved ones.

We know our fellow North Carolina residents have built their legacies with distinction, and we want to help them protect them with estate administration and probate strategies that fit their unique needs.

contact our estate administration and probate attorneys in Mooresville today to learn how we can help outline your legal rights and options to improve your quality of life now and going forward.

Estate Administration and Probate Attorneys in Mooresville, North Carolina

At Daly Mills Estate Planning, our Charlotte estate administration and probate lawyers provide the legal leadership our clients require to understand each aspect of estate administration.

No matter how much you may have in common with a friend, family member, or neighbor, estate administration planning is a deeply personal and extremely specific process.

At Daly Mills Estate Planning, We Also Offer The Following Services:

• Elder law
• Guardianships
• Wills and trusts
• Estate planning
• Asset protection
• Powers of attorney
• Special needs planning
• Medicaid and long-term planning

What Does Estate Administration Entail?

Estate administration allows all debts to be paid from the deceased’s existing assets before the balance — when applicable — is distributed upon his or her death.

The “estate” is the owner of the deceased’s assets until the administration process is completed.

Upon the death of an individual, the estate administration process can include either non-probate or probate transfers of the deceased’s property, based on the type of estate left behind.

Including:

• Testate Estates, which involve a valid will outlining the deceased’s wishes
• Intestate Estates, which involves following North Carolina statutory law because there is no valid will outlining the deceased’s wishes.

Both estates may partially or wholly require probate, which can extend the time, money, and resources it will take to finalize asset distribution. Our skilled estate administration and probate attorneys in Mooresville will help remove the confusion and stress from you and your family to allow you to grieve after losing a loved one.

What Does Probate Entail?

Probate is the legal process where a deceased person’s true last will and testament are proved in a court of law and accepted as a valid public document concerning how their estate is settled.

Simply stated, the probate process typically unfolds as follows:

• After death, the person the deceased named in their will as executor or, the individual appointed by the clerk, when there was no will files papers with the local probate court.
• The personal representative must be over 18, mentally competent, literate, and suitable in the eyes of the clerk, and is typically, but not always, a surviving spouse or another close relative.
• If there was a will, the executor presents the will to the court to confirm its validity and provides a list of all property, debts, and who will inherit the property that remains.
• Creditors and relatives named in the will are officially notified of the death.
• If there is no will, the personal representative may be required to post a bond before applying for letters of administration, which is the court order naming him or her as the administrator of the estate.
• The executor or personal representative is charged with finding, inventorying, securing, and managing the assets during the probate process.
• Depending on the contents of the will, and the amount of debt, they may have to decide whether to sell the real estate, securities, or other property to cover the outstanding amounts owed.
• Settling the estate includes notifying creditors, opening an estate checking and/or savings account, gathering assets, filing an inventory and accounts with the court, distributing to heirs, and, finally, closing the estate.

At Daly Mills Estate Planning, our estate administration and probate attorneys will guide you through each aspect of the process, so you can choose the most appropriate path for your unique financial planning needs.

How Long Does Probate Take in North Carolina?

The minimum period for the probate processes in North Carolina is four months, which includes 90 days allotted to creditors of the estate to file claims against it.

Usually, the process can take about a year depending on the size and value of the estate.

The more valuable and complex the assets are, the longer the probate process will take.

To avoid a lengthy probate process after your death, it is important to make your wishes known through the creation and validation of a will or trust, so your beneficiaries will not suffer the stress, confusion, and delays that come with the probate court.

At Daly Mills Estate Planning, we will help protect your legacy by outlining everything there is to know about your estate, and how you would like it to impact your family’s future.

Contact our dedicated estate administration and probate lawyers in Mooresville today to learn how we can help you confidently enjoy the quality of life you deserve knowing each detail is protected.

Why Choose Our Experienced North Carolina Estate Administration and Probate Attorneys at Daly Mills Estate Planning?

Our lead attorney, Danielle Feller, understands first-hand how important it is to make sure a person’s estate planning, asset protection, and estate administration needs are taken care of. When Danielle’s father was unexpectedly diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2016, Danielle made sure her parents spoke to an estate planning attorney to update their wills and powers of attorney documents. After Danielle’s father passed away, she personally experienced and witnessed how stressful and emotional it can be to administer a loved one’s estate while trying to grieve. It was then that Danielle made it her goal to help others plan for the unexpected and relieve the stress and burden during the process.

Danielle Feller is an AV Preeminent Rated attorney in Estate Planning, Rising Star Super Lawyer, and has an Avvo rating of 10.0.  She is also regularly appointed by the Iredell County Clerk’s Office to be an attorney Guardian ad Litem for Special Proceedings.

Danielle is a member of the Iredell County Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section. She is also a member of WealthCounsel, LLC, a national organization where attorneys and other professionals collaborate, learn from each other, and stay current with ever-changing laws, including all applicable statutes related to our practice areas that focus on serving clients with end-to-end estate planning needs.

Her knowledge, experience, and dedication to elder law are acknowledged in an upcoming chapter of WealthCounsel’s second edition of Estate Planning Strategies, Collective Wisdom, Proven Techniques.

Contact Our Estate Administration and Probate Attorneys in Iredell County, North Carolina Today

To learn more about how we can help you and your family create a customized plan to protect your legacy, call us at 704-286-8437 to schedule an initial consultation with our experienced estate administration and probate attorneys in Mooresville, North Carolina at Daly Mills Estate Planning today.

Related Links:

• Estate Administration And Probate