What to do when Parent Dies without a Will

Category: Probate, Trusts, Wills & Estates
Location: NJ
Subject: Power of Attorney

My father passed away without a will and without any one given power of attorney. My siblings are in agreement as to who should be given power of attorney in handling my father's estate which consists of a life insurance policy and a house in Villas, New Jersey, I would like to know can this be accomplished by way of obtaining any forms and filing them with the state, because the insurance company that my father had home owners insurance with will not divulge any information pertaining to the policy and we are trying to determine if he had mortgage insurance so we can better determine what we can do about the house.

Thank you,



REPLY:
Category: Probate, Trusts, Wills & Estates
Location: NJ
Subject: Re: Power of Attorney

Once a person has died, a Power of Attorney is no longer effective. You need to get the estate Administered by making an application with the Surrogate's Court. A waiver will need to be signed by each potential Administrator. Once the Letters of Administration have been granted by the Surrogate, you can present the Certificate to the Insurance Company, Mortgage Company, and Banks to get the money available in the accounts. I would be happy to assist you if you have further questions.
Ron Cappuccio www.saveyourestate.com
856 665-2121