Most debt is personal and doesn’t pass to your family when you die. But co-signed accounts, joint debts, and secured loans are real exceptions. Here’s how it works in Kentucky.
Yes. If someone dies owing you money, the debt usually becomes a claim against the person’s estate. In Kentucky, creditors can pursue payment through probate, but the claim must be presented correctly and on time. For most pre-death debts, the main deadline is six months after the District Court appoints the estate’s personal representative. If […]
Probate is the court-supervised process of administering a person’s estate after death. It typically involves validating the will, appointing an executor or administrator, paying valid creditor claims, and distributing the remaining property to the heirs. While probate serves an important purpose, most Kentuckians prefer to avoid it where they can: the process can be slow, […]
Losing a parent, a spouse, or a sibling is hard enough. Then the paperwork starts. Someone has to open the estate, gather the assets, deal with the bank, pay the bills, file with the court, and eventually distribute what is left – and every step comes with a deadline, a form number, and a statute […]
Losing a loved one is never easy, and the legal process that follows can make a difficult season feel even longer. For many Kentucky families, the word “probate” brings to mind months of court filings, paperwork, and waiting. What many people do not realize is that Kentucky law provides a streamlined alternative for smaller estates: […]
Probate can be a lengthy, expensive, and stressful process – but it does not have to be. One of the most common questions our Lexington probate attorneys hear is whether everything a person owns must pass through probate when they die. The general answer is no. Kentucky law sends some assets through the probate court […]
