KCee Yeah, every state is different, and sometimes there may be something Federal involved, rarely I think, except for maybe a mortgage not paid off.
Probate won't apply to all cases. Even then, if no probate, debtors still have a time limit for claims. But keep in mind, most places will never come after any money unless they know the estate was large. Costs them too much for what they may recover. I paid everything off, just to make sure I 'keep a spot open' when I pass.😄
My wife's life insurance just sent me a claim form to fill out, send in with death certificate & obit copy(very necessary item btw!). Can't recall if it needed notarized or not. Simple really. I had no hassles from any place. We were poor folk. And I still am.😖
I got bills, in her name only, that I paid and most likely did not have to as my name was not on any of such things. Even the kids told me to toss them. But.....she taught me differently in life.
KCee Makes sense except the banks will give you all the money with just death cert.
Not sure how that works if having to go through any probate, but my bank never asked about such.
I do know life insurance cannot be touched except by the beneficiary. It is theirs to keep. It does not have to be split among any other heirs. There is always more than 1 beneficiary listed, in a successive order of possible deaths. I still updated mine with taking her name off and bumping others up, then adding 1.