Call Us: 828-452-9099
Probate & Estate Administration
Losing someone is hard enough. The legal process that follows shouldn't make it harder.
Wenzel & Wenzel guides executors and administrators through every step of the estate administration process — from opening the estate at the courthouse to distributing assets and filing the final accounting. We've been doing this work in North Carolina for over two decades, and we do it every day.
To get started, contact our office for more information or to request a worksheet prior to scheduling a consultation.
We Represent You — and We Take That Seriously
When you serve as an Executor or Administrator, you're not just helping your family settle an estate. You're fulfilling a legal role with real obligations — obligations that exist independent of what anyone else in the family wants or expects.
That means there's a right order to things. Creditors get paid before beneficiaries receive assets. Certain claims have legal priority. Assets can't be distributed until specific steps are complete. If those rules aren't followed, you — the Personal Representative — are the one who can be held responsible and financially liable.
We take that seriously because you're the one on the hook if something goes wrong.
Our job isn't just to get it done. It's to get it done correctly.
What the Process Looks Like
Estate administration follows a specific legal order. We walk you through it one step at a time — because when you're grieving, the last thing you need is to be buried in paperwork and legal detail all at once.
Months 1–3: Gathering information We help you open the estate, file the initial court documents, prepare the inventory of estate assets as of the date of death, and publish notice to creditors to set the claim bar date.
Months 3–6+: Paying claims and managing assets Once the claims period has run and proper notices have been sent, we assist with evaluating and paying the estate's debts and creditors in the legally required order. If real estate or other assets need to be sold to satisfy claims, we'll guide you through that process as well.
Final stage: Distributing assets and closing the estate After all claims are satisfied and proof of payment received, we assist with distributing assets to beneficiaries and heirs, collecting receipts, and preparing and filing the final accounting with the court.
How long does it take? Most straightforward estates can be completed in one year from opening to the filing of the final account — and sometimes must remain open into the next calendar year to allow for the filing of final income tax returns. Estates involving real estate sales or other complications often run fifteen months or more.
Full-Service Accounting — and Why It Matters
When you hire us, we don't just advise from the sidelines. We work alongside you on the financial administration of the estate: opening the estate account, obtaining the tax identification number, making deposits, writing checks for your signature, reconciling accounts, and preparing the court-required accounting as we go.
We've built relationships with financial institutions and developed efficient processes for this work — because we do it every day.
We want to be direct about something: clients sometimes try to manage pieces of this on their own to save money — paying bills, making deposits, contacting creditors, or setting up the estate account without us. In almost every case, this ends up costing more. When we're not involved in the day-to-day, we're missing information, filling in gaps, and correcting errors after the fact — all of which takes more time and generates more fees than doing it right from the start.
If you hire us, let us help you fully. That's how we do our best work for you.
What Our Office Does Not Handle:
Beneficiaries
Our office represents the Personal Representative — the Executor or Administrator — not the beneficiaries of an estate or trust. If you are a beneficiary with concerns about how an estate is being handled, we are not the right firm for that matter.
Lawsuits against Executors or Trustees.
We do not handle litigation against fiduciaries or assisting with their removal or defending against their removal.
Guardianship matters.
We do not handle any matters relating to court proceedings to have someone declared incompetent or to pursue an initial guardianship appointment, or with ongoing legal duties and accountings. If you need assistance with these matters, you'll need to work with another attorney.
Contact Us Today
Wenzel & Wenzel, PLLC, in Waynesville, NC, can be reached at 828-452-9099 or estates@wenzellawfirm.com. Contact us for more information, to learn about the process, and to obtain a worksheet prior to scheduling a personalized consultation with our experienced attorneys.