Whether you have located a child for adoption or are just beginning to consider adoption, our professional staff will assist you through the legal process of forming a forever family through adoption.

Step-parents and relatives at times are in the position of adopting the child of a spouse or family member. Allow our professionals to guide you through the process in the most expeditious manner.

Adoption stories are as varied as each family that is created by the process. Call for a free consultation with Janice Walston to begin your journey.

Whether your assets are substantial or modest, you can save a lot of difficulty and hard feelings for your loved ones by planning ahead and setting forth your desires for how your assets should be distributed at your death. A Simple Will is very economical at Morrison Law Firm and more complex estate planning can be handled at a reasonable cost to you. Either option will save your loved ones money and time when they are grieving the loss of you, their loved one. It's actually less expensive to prepare a Simple Will than to die without one!

Did you know that if you die without a will in North Carolina, your assets are not necessarily transferred to your spouse alone? Not only will the person administering the estate have to purchase an expensive insurance bond, but the government will dictate how your estate is split up among your relatives. For example:

1. If you have a spouse and one child, your spouse will receive one-half of your real property plus the first $30,000 of your personal property and one-half of the remaining personal property in your estate. The remainder will go to your child.
2. If you have a spouse and two or more children, your spouse will receive one-third of your real property plus the first $30,000 of your personal property and one-third of the remaining personal property in your estate. The remainder will go to your children.
3. If you have a spouse and parents but no children, your spouse will receive one-half of your real property plus the first $50,000 of your personal property and one-half of the remaining personal property in your estate. The remainder will go to your parents.

Your Last Will and Testament sets forth how you want your assets divided, and it also allows you to provide for your minor children through simple trusts. Without such a will containing plans for your minor children, the Courts may have to become involved to appoint a guardian, requiring annual accountings, bonds and other costs to the assets you leave for your child.

Probate is the public process of 1) Filing and validating a will in court; 2) Paying all the debts and taxes of the deceased person and 3) Dividing up the assets according to the will or North Carolina law. If you have no debts and no "titled property" such as real estate or vehicles to pass along to heirs, there may be no need for probate.

If there is no will, but there are assets, debts and/or titled property, then someone must qualify to administer the estate of the deceased. There are many forms and required steps to work through the administration process either with or without a will. Morrison Law Firm has trained professionals to assist you through every step of this probate process.

Guardianship. If your loved one is no longer able to manage his/her own financial affairs, you may need access to make financial and medical decisions for that person. Whether the condition is temporary or permanent, you may plan ahead for the situation with simple documents appointing a guardian. If your loved one's condition is already such that competency is questionable, you must file a Petition to obtain guardianship. Allow our trained professionals to assist you through the various steps to obtain legal guardianship in order to assist your loved ones through a difficult time.