The process of dealing with the death of a loved one is a difficult time. It is hard to think about material possessions during this troubling period. Many people feel overwhelmed and often times do not want to deal with the material issues that are involved with the death of a loved one. It is important; however, to understand the resources one must use in order to keep the possessions of a
. loved one from the hands of the court. This process starts with understanding filing affidavits or heirship and the laws that are enforced in each state.Every state has their own filing process when dealing with an affidavit of heirship. Therefore it is important to understand the basics behind the affidavit and understand the universal definition. The affidavit is a legal document used to determine the heirs of a deceased loved one. This determines who is legally entitled to the property of the deceased loved one. The affidavit is commonly used for those who did not leave a will. By filing an affidavit, a chain is established that determines who has custody or control over a deceased person's property. Again, the laws of each state vary which makes it necessary to research the state law where the person lived.It is important to understand that certain types of property will require the affidavit if there is no will. If a son is attempting to sell his father's farm land, but no will exists that shows the son has full ownership, the an affidavit of heirship is required. The stipulations vary from state to state but the example is common in all 50 states. For those who are struggling with the death of a loved one, they have the luxury of downloading free copies of the affidavit that are specific to each state. This saves time during a very emotional period.More reference links: http://www.centralsecuritylife.com/forms/AH-03-07numbered.pdf http://www.uslegalforms.com/affidavits/heirship/state_specific.html
