What Christine handles from McDowell Street
Most people who call this office are partway through something. A parent has died and the house is still in that parent’s name. A will signed years ago no longer fits the family. Or a relative needs long-term care and nobody is sure how it will be paid for. Christine starts the same way each time. She finds out what you’re dealing with and explains the next step in plain words, then works through the rest with you. Read about Christine Hart.
For estate planning, Christine sums up the goal in one line: give what you have, to who you want, the way you want it. For most people that starts with a will. Some families also need a trust, a power of attorney (a document naming who can act for you if you can’t) and a health care document. If you have an older plan, we start with the documents you already have and look at what has changed since you signed them. Our estate planning, wills and trusts pages go into more detail.
When someone who lived in Charlotte dies, the estate is settled through the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court at the courthouse on East Fourth Street. North Carolina has no separate probate court. The clerk acts as judge of probate (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-2-1). If you’ve been named executor, Christine takes you through each step in order and tells you what she’ll need from you along the way. Our page on probate in Mecklenburg County lays out the full sequence.
A deed can stay in a parent’s or grandparent’s name for years after the funeral. We prepare the deeds and handle the legal side of keeping or selling inherited property. That includes heirs property, which is family land passed down without clear title and often owned by many relatives at once. See inherited property and deeds. We don’t handle real estate closings, so if you’re buying or selling a house that isn’t part of an estate, you’ll want a closing attorney.
Christine also helps families plan how a parent’s long-term care will be paid for under North Carolina rules. Our page on Medicaid and long-term care planning explains how that works. She prepares prenuptial agreements for North Carolina couples.
We take criminal defense, traffic ticket and personal injury matters here as well. Christine reviews each inquiry herself and decides, case by case, whether we can take it.
Meeting with Christine
You don’t have to come to the office to work with Christine. She does much of her work remotely, which helps when the family is spread out or the person handling an estate lives in another state. A few steps do need you in person. A North Carolina will, for example, has to be signed in front of two witnesses. We’ll tell you early on which steps those are.
Your first meeting with Christine is paid. You explain what’s going on in your own words, and she asks questions and reads whatever papers you bring. By the end, she tells you the next step and whether we can help.
It helps to bring whatever you already have:
Planning
any will, trust or power of attorney, and a rough list of what you own.
An estate
the death certificate, the original will if you’ve found it, and anything from the Clerk’s office.
A house or land
the deed or a recent tax bill, and the names of relatives who may share ownership.
A care question
a short note on the care your family member gets now and how it’s paid for.
If something is missing, come anyway. We can start from what you have.
How much does an estate attorney cost in NC?
It depends on the kind of matter. Estate planning and probate are each a flat fee. Court and filing costs are separate, and both are set out in a written fee or scope letter before any work begins. For other matters, Christine sets the fee once she knows what the work involves, and you get that in writing first too.
When part of the matter is in South Carolina
Some Charlotte families have a parent in Summerville or land across the state line. Christine handles the North Carolina side, and our South Carolina attorneys, Justin Montgomery and Tiffany Lumpkin, handle the South Carolina side from our Summerville office. If you tell us about both places at the start, one firm keeps track of the whole picture.
Offices · South CarolinaSummerville office201 Sigma Drive, Suite 300, Summerville, SC 29486 · Justin Montgomery and Tiffany Lumpkin
Questions people ask before they call
Can I call a lawyer and ask a question for free?
You can call to check whether we handle your kind of matter and to book a time. Advice about your own situation starts in the first meeting with Christine, which is paid.
When should I hire an estate lawyer?
Call when you’re making or updating a will, or when you’ve been named executor. It’s also time to call when a house is still in the name of a relative who has died, or when a parent’s care starts to raise money questions. You don’t need to wait for a crisis. Reviewing an old will is a normal reason to call.
How do I pick a good estate attorney?
Start with the state: your attorney should be licensed where the estate is opened or where the property is. Then ask who will actually handle your matter, how the fee works and whether you’ll get it in writing. Notice, too, whether the steps are explained in words you understand.
What’s the difference between an estate lawyer and a probate lawyer?
An estate planning lawyer helps you plan before death, with wills, trusts and powers of attorney. A probate lawyer settles an estate after someone dies. Christine does both for North Carolina, from this office.
Book a first meeting in Charlotte
Call 980-243-4470 or book a first meeting online. Mention that your matter is in North Carolina, and we’ll set the meeting with Christine. You can also see both of our offices.
Responsible attorney: Christine Hart, 122 N. McDowell Street, Charlotte, NC 28204.