Hey there, folks! So, check this out – yesterday was a big day for us. Sadly, my mother-in-law passed away suddenly on 7/5/2025, and her home was set to be sold with a settlement date of 7/24/2025. Now, a lot of people were skeptical about our ability to get everything sorted in just 19 days, but guess what? We proved them wrong!
Now, before I dive into the nitty-gritty, let me give you a bit of background. My wife and I are no amateurs – we’ve got a total of seven college degrees between us. I’m a retired professor, and she’s a high-flying executive. So, when faced with this challenge, we saw it as an opportunity for me to step up and take charge. With my wife by my side, we decided to handle as much of the process ourselves as we could legally.
Our realtor suggested getting a lawyer on board, so we had a chat with one. But here’s the kicker – he couldn’t even answer our basic question about where the will should be probated. He wanted a retainer and hourly fees for “research.” Ain’t nobody got time for that! So, I took matters into my own hands and called up the Gloucester County Surrogate’s office. And guess what? They told me straight up that we could file the will in their county. No need for fancy lawyers and hefty fees.
With the guidance of the Surrogate’s office clerk, we got the necessary documents in order in a jiffy. I even managed to speed up the process of getting the death certificates. The Surrogate’s office folks were an absolute delight to work with – friendly, efficient, and super helpful.
Now, the only hiccup we faced was with the Certificate of Occupancy, thanks to the notorious reputation of the township office. But hey, we managed to sort that out just in the nick of time before settlement day. We also got our EIN number sorted and set up an estate account pronto.
My wife is heading out this morning to deposit the checks into the estate account. And get this – we got all of this done before the memorial service for my mother-in-law, which is happening tomorrow. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for my wife, but it’s also been a step towards closure.
So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, just know that you can