Type In Legal Alabama Small Estates Forms For Free

A ?small estate? contains personal property only (no real estate) and does not exceed an amount (originally $25,000) annually adjusted for inflation. The amount is $30,608.00 for 2021 and is increased each year.

Instead of a small estate affidavit, Alabama allows for distribution of small estates through an abbreviated estate process known as summary distribution. To qualify for summary distribution, the estate must meet the criteria of a ?small estate? as defined by the statute.

The Alabama Small Estates Act allows the personal property of a deceased person to be distributed to the surviving spouse or appropriate next of kin through a court proceeding in a summary manner without full probate or administration. Summary distribution makes the passing of a small estate significantly faster.

Most states have a ?small estates? rule that allows you to avoid probate entirely, as long as the estate value doesn't pass a certain threshold. In Alabama, if an estate doesn't have any real property and the value doesn't exceed $25,000, after waiting 30 days, you can use what's known as a summary probate procedure.

The Alabama Small Estates Act was passed in 1979 and amended in 2009. This Act provides a method, through a court proceeding, to distribute personal property of a deceased person in a summary distribution manner to a surviving spouse, or appropriate distributes of the decedent, without full probate administration.

Step 1: ? Verify that the estate is eligible. This will include identifying and valuing all of the decedent's property to make sure it falls below the state maximum. ... Step 2 ? Contact all the Heirs. ... Step 3 ? Settle any remaining obligations. ... Step 4 ? Fill out, sign, and file the affidavit form.