Before a guardian or the personal representative of an estate takes office, he or she must take an oath. The form is a standard form and can be found here. The oath is usually made in front of the Probate Judge or a clerk with the probate court, but it can be taken out of […]
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In Georgia, when actions are filed in Probate Court, some people must be notified before the case can move forward. These individuals are known as parties in interest. Usually service is acknowledged or waived, but not always. Ordinarily a party in interest who does not acknowledge or waive service is entitled to personal service, but […]
What is Form 1041 used for? If an estate or trust has gross income of $600 or more during a tax year, it must file a tax return. The fiduciary of a domestic decedent’s estate, trust, or bankruptcy estate uses Form 1041 to report: The income, deductions, gains, losses, etc., of the estate or trust; […]
IRS Form 56 is used to notify the IRS of the creation or termination of a fiduciary relationship under section 6903 and provide the qualification for the fiduciary relationship under section 6036. Form 56 cannot be used to update the last known address of the person, business, or entity for whom you are acting. Use […]
On November 15, 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted the 2025 spousal impoverishment standards. These are the standards used to determine how the amount of income and resources that can be diverted to or retained by a Community Spouse. They also tell us the SSI rate and the Medicaid income cap. In […]
Many people think that estate planning is just having documents prepared. They have a lawyer prepare a Will, get it signed and they’re done. As Lee Corso says on Game Day, “Not so fast!” The hardest part of stepping into someone else’s shoes, whether its as an agent under a power of attorney, or as […]
In Chambers v. Edwards, 365 Ga. App. 482 (2022), William Chambers sued his sister, Kathy Edwards, alleging tortious interference with inheritance. The trial court granted Edwards’ motion to dismiss (converted to a motion for summary judgment when evidence not in the pleadings was considered). The parties’ father died in 2011, leaving everything to their mother. […]
When an injured party sues someone who negligently injured him or her, one form of damages the injured party may recover are medical expenses. However, can those expenses be recovered when they have been paid by someone else? In Bennett v. Haley, 132 Ga. App. 512 (1974), the Court said they can be recovered. The […]