When do you need to open a probate estate in Tennessee?

In this video attorney Joy Robertson answers the questions of when you should open a probate estate in the state of Tennessee. View the video below or see the transcript below to hear Chelsea’s explanation for this sad but sometimes necessary process.

Transcript:
Hello, my name is Joy Robertson, I’m an attorney with Douglass & Runger, PLLC, a Memphis, Tennessee law firm. I work to help my clients navigate the difficulties of the death of a loved one by walking them through the probate process.

One common question that I’ve frequently asked by clients is, how do you know if it’s necessary to open the estate? So, the main consideration that we take into account is whether there are assets that are titled in the decedent name only. So, some examples of these types of assets might be a vehicle that is only in the decedent’s name, it is not jointly held by another person. If there is a bank account. That is only in the decedent name, then that would be an asset that was subject to probate and would likely necessitate the opening of an estate. The reason that you have to open an estate when assets are only titled and the decedent name is because that is the only way for you to get that asset out of the decedent names into either the names of the heirs, or the other beneficiaries. So that is the first consideration, you should take into account when determining whether it’s necessary to reach out to a probate attorney to have them open estate. On the behalf of your deceased loved one. If you have any questions about the probate process, generally, and you would like to speak to me about a particular case, please feel free to contact me. Thank you.

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to call Curt or his team at Douglass & Runger, PLLC at (901) 388-5805 relating to other questions you may have about the will divorce process.