When someone passes away with property titled out of state, transferring those assets to their rightful owner can become more complicated than what should be expected from a traditional probate process. If you have the property titled out of state or are set to inherit property from another state, you may need to go through what is called ancillary probate and potentially require help from an out-of-state lawyer to complete the process.
If an out-of-state resident passes away and his or her last will and testament expresses intent to pass real estate in Wisconsin along to someone, it will be necessary for the administrator of the estate, as named in the will, to file probate in the Wisconsin county where the land is located. The executor will need to furnish the probate court with a copy of the decedent’s last will and testament as well as documents showing that the estate has been entered into the probate court of the testator’s state.
There are two ways that real estate owned by an out of state resident can be transferred without going through probate. The first is in the event that six years have elapsed since the deceased’s passing when a copy of the will and out-state probate is used to secure a certificate of assignment to transfer the title without probate. The second, “no personal representative has been appointed in this (Wisconsin) state for the estate of any decedent who was not a resident of this state at the time of his or her death,” the county Circuit Court may appoint an executor to take control of the real estate.
If you are inheriting real estate from out of state, you will need to follow the procedures for ancillary probate in the state where the property is located. That may include hiring an attorney or traveling to probate proceedings, possibly with the named executor of the estate if that is what is required. If you are asked to be the executor of an estate, it may also be a good idea to ask in advance if the testator has real estate out of state.
To avoid putting your loved ones through ancillary probate when you pass away, you will need to engage in forward-thinking by creating a living trust, a transfer on death deed, or adding the individual as a co-owner to the title. Some of these can also avoid full probate both in and out of state, depending on the in-state laws.
Madison Trust and Estate Lawyers
The estate lawyers of Krause Donovan Estate Law Partners, LLC practice law in the areas of Probate, Wills, Estate Planning, and Trusts. We assist clients in and around Madison, Wisconsin with all matters related to estate planning, trusts, and probate matters. If you have questions about probate, we invite you to request a consultation with one of our experienced probate attorneys.