Changes to Wills, Trusts, & Estates Laws in North Carolina

New legislation in North Carolina has resulted in a number of changes related to Wills, Trusts, and Estates, including the following:

• Allowing a trustee to appoint trust property to another trust for the same beneficiary. 2009 N.C. Laws S.L. 2009-318.
• Establishing a procedure for providing notice to creditors without estate administration when a decedent dies leaving no property subject to probate. 2009 N.C. Laws S.L. 2009-444.
  
• Increasing the amount of funeral expenses with payment priority to $3,500 from $2,500.  The first $1,500 of gravestone and burial location expenses were also given priority. 2009 N.C. Laws S.L. 2009-288.
  
• Revamping how a surviving spouse’s forced share is computed. 2009 N.C. Laws S.L. 2009-368.