You also have the right to sue the executor for breach of fiduciary duty. If you think that the executor is simply failing to act or otherwise delaying things, you can petition the probate court to require the executor to act or even to have the executor removed.
How can an executor be removed? executor not meeting required qualifications; out-of-state executor not having a Texas resident agent; inability to find the executor; embezzlement or misuse of estate funds; gross misconduct or mismanagement of the executor's duties; failure to file required documents;
An estate beneficiary has a right to sue the executor or administrator if they are not competently doing their job or are engaged in fiduciary misconduct.
A creditor then has a time limit within which they may file a claim against the estate. They must do so within the later of: Six months from when the probate process officially begins (i.e., the date letters testamentary or of administration are granted), or. Four months after the date the mandatory notice is received.
California has fairly liberal and broad laws governing the removal of an executor. It's important to note that interested parties can petition to remove an executor even before they have taken wrongful or ill-advised action.
The first step is to consult with a wills and estates lawyer. Beneficiaries can petition the court to have the executor removed or the executor can ask to be removed. This process can take a long time and there is generally no guarantee that the courts will honour this request.
Probate Without an Attorney: The Muniment of Title Exception It is generally appropriate only in the simplest of small estates; for example, when the only property of an estate is a house that needs to be transferred to the sole beneficiary named in the will.
Standard Executor Compensation This is referred to as the five-and-five rule. However, there are limitations to this commission. It cannot exceed five percent of the gross fair market value of the estate being administered, and it is not applicable in certain situations.
Texas law allows executors to sell property without the beneficiaries' approval, which can be necessary to keep the estate solvent. However, this authority comes with the responsibility of ensuring that the sale is conducted in the best interest of the estate.
If you are dealing with an estate where you are the only beneficiary or heir, you are not legally required to hire an attorney. If the estate has more than you as the beneficiary or heir, then you do have to hire a probate attorney.