South Carolina Code §62-2-301 states in relevant part that if a testator fails to provide by will for his surviving spouse who married the testator after the execution of the will, the omitted spouse shall receive the same share of the estate he would have received if the decedent left no will. This means the omitted spouse will receive a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the estate if the decedent had children or up to one hundred percent (100%) if the decedent didn’t have children. This right should not be confused with the elective share, which applies when the decedent drafted the will after the marriage and intentionally excluded the spouse in whole or in part.

As with every rule of law, there are some exceptions. An omitted spouse is not entitled to this share if it appears from the will that the omission was intentional. An example may be where the will itself states that the decedent does not intend to provide for any future spouse or acknowledges an intent to leave everything to charity regardless of his marital status at the time of death. The omitted spouse may also have a problem if the testator provided for the spouse by transfer outside the will and it can be proven that the transfer was in lieu of a gift in the will. An example includes the deceased spouse providing for the spouse during life but having a valid prenuptial agreement whereby he/she agrees not to make a claim against the decedent’s estate.

Due to South Carolina’s continued acceptance of common law marriage, it is important to note that this right extends to those who successfully prove a common law marriage that was entered into after to the execution of the decedent’s last will. If the evidence indicates that the common law marriage was entered into before the decedent’s last will, then the spouse will be limited to the elective share. A wise attorney when dealing with a common law marriage will plead both omitted spouse and elective share at the same time.

Similar to the elective share, a spouse who was unintentionally omitted from the last will and was not otherwise provided for by a separate transfer should take immediate action. A petition for such share must be filed within eight months after the date of death or within six months after the probate of the decedent’s will, whichever limitation last expires.

Related posts:

1. The Elective Share

1) There are a variety of reasons why people delay the opening of an estate, the most common of which is grief. It is absolutely understandable that when a loved one passes away, the last thing on your mind is hiring an attorney or locating your local probate court. And while that is perfectly understandable, failure to start the probate process quickly can cause problems. Take a week or two to deal with the most pressing issues and if you still don’t feel you a re ready to begin, ask a trusted friend or family member to help you.

2) In South Carolina, it is actually a misdemeanor to withhold a decedent’s last will from the court for more than thirty (30) days. This means that if you have the original will in your possession, you need to get it to the court promptly. Hiding a will is never a good idea as it leads to speculation, confusion and chaos amongst those who feel they might be inheriting from the decedent.

3) Failure to open an estate in a timely fashion may lead to another party getting priority to serve as Personal Representative. In fact, if you have not opened the estate within forty-five (45) days, a creditor can open it on your behalf. Again, if you are grieving and unable to deal with these issues, find someone to help you as having a creditor handle the affairs of the estate is never in anyone’s best interest (except theirs).

Once you have opened the estate, you can expect it to remain open for a minimum of eight (8) months, most likely it will take closer to a year or longer from start to finish. Even the best attorney can’t complete it in less time as the law requires the estate be open that long in order for creditors to have time to make claims for any money they are owed by the decedent. Here are a few more things to consider:

1) The eight (8) months begins from the date that you publish the court approved creditor’s notice in the local paper. So, just picking up the paperwork from the court is not enough, you must ensure the Personal Representative quickly gets that notice in the paper (some courts do this for you, others require you to do it on your own).

2) Attempting to convince the court that you already know everyone your loved one owed will never work, although just about every family has hoped to shorten the process by making this argument. The time set by law can not be waived, shortened, or changed for any estate.

3) Once you have opened the estate, your attorney should provide you with a general guideline of what you need to do and when in order to satisfy the courts. If you are attempting to handle the estate without legal guidance, make sure to ask the court for a list of their deadlines so that you are clear on what documents need to be submitted and when so that you don’t further delay the estate.

In closing, know that while good estate planning can eliminate many of the hassles of probate, nothing can change the court’s requirements for probating an estate. Only those who have no real property, no titles assets (cars, boats, mobile homes) and no personal property or assets that total above ten thousand ($10,000) can skip the formalities by using a process called a small estate, which will be the topic of a future post.

Related posts:

1. Pick Me, Pick Me! Who gets to be the Personal Representative of the estate? (Part I)
2. Personal Representative’s Duties: Duty to Inform
3. Who will be the Personal Representative? (Part II)

Minor Children – If the decedent is not legally married at death (whether by divorce, death or perhaps they had the common sense never to get married in the first place), their children have the right to serve as P.R. But, what if their children are minors? Obviously, a minor is not “fit” to serve (minimum age is 18) and therefore the S.C. Probate Code determines who is next in line. Often times in these situations, people assume that it would be the decedent’s parents; however, that is not the case.

In South Carolina, if you leave behind no will and have minor children, before YOUR parents are entitled to serve, the appointment will go to THEIR other parent or guardian. That’s right, your ex-spouse (or baby mama as the case may be) will suddenly be in charge of everything you own. And, it doesn’t matter that they have told 100 people they hate you or that they took you to the cleaners in family court, unless it can be shown that they are unfit to serve due to a criminal history, incarceration, incapacity, etc. then they get the job. The bottom line is that since you didn’t choose someone in your will, the law assumes that the best person to serve is the legal guardian of your primary heir. This scenario gets even more entertaining when you have children with more than one person so that the court must now referee between the two. Enter Jerry Springer . . .

Separation – Because South Carolina does not have “no fault” divorce, many couples have to lived separated for 1 year in order to qualify for a divorce. To avoid expenses and complications, many of them don’t part ways through legal documentation and instead simply “split up.” While this may save you money in family court, the consequences can be disastrous in probate court. The S.C. Probate Code is clear in Section 62-2-802 what is required before a spouse will loose their entitlement to be considered a “spouse.” Essentially, one of the following has to have occurred:

A divorce or annulment. And, it isn’t even enough for a couple to “think” they are divorced. The Judge has to actually have signed the decree. In a landmark case titled Hatchell-Freeman v. Freeman a wife was actually entitled to serve as P.R. and entitled to receive a share of the estate even though they had attended the final hearing on their divorce (simply because the Judge had not signed the decree).

A decree of separate maintenance or property settlement agreement acknowledged by the court which which terminates these rights.

Adultery, abandonment or other acts of the spouse are not relevant to the Probate Court under these sections. So, the bottom line is that if you find yourself in this situation you need legal help and a properly drafted will to ensure your ex isn’t in control against your wishes.

Common Law Marriage – We will discuss common law marriage in greater detail in a future post but for purposes of this discussion, just know that common law marriage must be affirmatively proven in the court and until that time the question of who has priority to serve as the Personal Representative may be difficult to answer. Because a spouse has priority to serve, the question is – who serves while it is determined whether or not someone is the spouse? In this case, the court may rely on a Special Administrator to handle the estate until the marriage issue can be resolved. Or, in a perfect world, the potential spouse and other heirs would agree by consent as to who will serve in the interim.

There is no shortage of court hearing to determine who will serve as Personal Representative. And, even after the appropriate person is appointed, parties may find themselves litigating whether or not that person is doing the job properly. In the end, the only way to protect your assets from these disputes is to make these choices before you go!

Related posts:

1. Pick Me, Pick Me! Who gets to be the Personal Representative of the estate? (Part I)
2. Choosing a Personal Representative
3. Personal Representative’s Duties: Duty to Inform

Luckily, there are many estates where the court does not have to get involved in choosing the appropriate person.  For example, when you write your will, it should always state whom you wish to serve as the Personal Representative. It’s also wise to name an alternate in case your first choice is not available.

However, when you die without a will (this is called “intestacy”), the court will have to determine who should be in charge. South Carolina Code Section 62-3-203 determines who has the priority to serve, but the Judge may use his/her discretion to determine if someone with priority is not suitable (or disqualified) for the appointment. Some examples will help explain who gets to serve but remember again that these only apply if you don’t name someone in your will.

The Spouse – Your spouse will be the top pick to serve as Personal Representative (P.R.) if you are lawfully married at the time of your death. This can seem clear but a lot of confusion can arise when couples are separated, estranged, or allegedly common law married. S. C. Probate Code Section 62-2-802 outlines what actions will terminate a spouse’s rights to serve. A spouse serving can also cause problems when the children involved are from a previous marriage. Despite the possibility for future conflicts, the spouse is entitled to serve and will be appointed by the court unless it can be shown that he/she is unfit to serve. A person may be unfit to serve if they are incarcerated, have serious financial problems (check fraud, bankruptcy, history of financial wrongdoings), or are incapacitated. Even if the spouse can’t serve, they are entitled to nominate someone to serve on their behalf.

The Children – If there is no spouse, or the spouse is unable to serve (or chooses not to and doesn’t name a nominee to serve in their place) then the children are the next in line. If there is only one child, the court will appoint that child. The debate usually begins when there are multiple children. Since all children have equal priority to be the P.R., the court will choose unless all of the children can agree. When left to the court, the Judge will consider many factors including the opinions and nominations of the heirs, financial stability, criminal history, proximity to the court and many others.

While these two rules will address the majority of cases, there are more complicated issues that arise with minor children, divorced spouses, and those with no children or spouse that will be discussed in Pick Me, Pick Me Part II.

Related posts:

1. Who will be the Personal Representative? (Part II)
2. Personal Representative’s Duties: Duty to Inform
3. So how long is this going to take?

Whether they are called Personal Representatives (P.R. for short), Executors or Administrators, they all have the same purpose – to manage your assets, file proper documentation with the courts and IRS, deal with any creditors you may have had and properly distribute your assets to your heirs. It’s not an easy job and it will be best for everyone if you give some thought today into who would be the best person to handle this for you after you are gone.

Here are some considerations I discuss with all of my estate planning clients before they make this choice.

Age – When naming a P.R., try to name someone younger than yourself. Most people don’t update their wills regularly and statistically, if you name someone older than yourself (a parent, older sibling, etc.) they will have already passed away. There are plenty of exceptions to this “rule” when people want to name a spouse or when they have an illness that realistically will bring about their death before those that are older than they are. If you do choose someone older than you, ensure that your alternate (second choice) is younger and be prepared to update your document if they pass away or become incapacitated.

Location – It is not necessary that the person you choose live in the same city or state that you do; however, if you have good options close to home it will make their life easier. Being someone’s P.R. will require the person to collect and manage all of your assets (most of which will be where you lived) and can require several trips to the court as well. Personal Representatives who must travel repeatedly usually end up with high travel expenses, missed days from work, and delays from the inability to be nearby when needed.

Financial Stability – If someone can’t manage their own finances, why would you ask them to manage yours? Choosing a P.R. means entrusting someone with full access to your bank accounts, investments, personal property and more. For this reason, you need to ensure the person you choose is financially responsible and trustworthy. This is a lot of power to give someone and putting that power in the wrong hands can have disastrous consequences for your heirs. If you don’t have anyone in your life that is trustworthy, this may be the time to think about using a professional P.R. (attorney, bank, etc.) or putting in your will that you want your P.R. to be bonded.

Relationship with your heirs – Don’t overlook that this person will be working for and with your heirs. If your brother and wife have never really gotten along, it would not be wise to name him as the P.R. when your primary heir is your wife. Instead of considering what type of relationship your potential P.R. has with YOU (which is irrelevant because you will be dead), think about what type of relationship they have with your heirs. Blended families, second marriages, and strained family relationships can make this a challenge.

In closing, after you have chosen your P.R. and an alternate, it’s a good idea to let the people know they have been named. Some will be honored and others may decline (especially if they have done it before).  Either way, you will have the chance to know their willingness and to discuss with them any problems you foresee with your estate. And remember, if you think choosing you own P.R. is a daunting task, imagine how the probate court feels if they have to make the choice for you after you are gone.

Related posts:

1. Who will be the Personal Representative? (Part II)