Delays in filing for probate can freeze assets, prolong creditor claims, and lead to legal and financial issues for executors. Failing to file for probate, and executor can face: civil penalties, criminal charges, and financial liabilities.
You are not legally required to handle the administration of a decedent's estate, even if you are named as the executor; you may choose to decline. However, if you are in possession of their original signed will, you are required to file it, along with the death certificate, with the court.
You normally need not get very specific, unless an object is particularly valuable. It is enough to list the location of the property: "all household furnishings and possessions in the apartment at 55 Drury Lane."
Wills are only public record under certain circumstances. In California and most states, a will is filed with the court during probate, so it's public. But if probate hasn't been started, the will is private, usually held by the executor or the deceased's attorney.
An affidavit for collection of personal property in California is a legal document that allows heirs and beneficiaries to claim specific assets from a deceased person's estate without going through probate, as long as the total value of the assets does not exceed $166,250.
You must obtain the form used by the probate court in the county where the deceased was a resident. You can obtain it in person or by accessing your court's self-help center online and downloading the form there.
Code § 8200 requires that when a person dies, the person in possession of the Will, must deliver (aka deposit) the Will to the Court within 30 days.
How to write a general affidavit? Title your affidavit. Don't forget to list any relevant contact or identification information that you may need to include in the heading. Write your statement. Verify that your information is true. Finalize and notarize.
Step 1: Decide what the title of your affidavit will be. Step 2: Put the name and personal background information of the person giving the information in the first paragraph. Step 3: Write an opening sentence in the first person tense. Step 4: Make an outline of the information given or state the facts of the case.