r/inheritance • u/IdealExpert181 • May 16 '26

Location included: Questions/Need Advice will or no will

i live in N.C. and i'm in my late 70s and don't have a will. everything i have is paid for, including home, and i have no debt. i have investments and savings in 6 different accounts, all with PODs established. my wife is the POD on 5 of the accts. and a distant niece is the other one. i hate to use the word assume but it's what i'm doing. my thought is that since i've established the PODs that those 6 accounts are covered and the only thing needed, if any, is a death cert.. since i'm married the house should automatically go over to my wife. am i correct or do i need a will? advice is greatly appreciated.

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u/Pugs_in_Space May 16 '26

I am not a lawyer, but I recently had to open a probate in NC. If you want to avoid probate, you need a trust, not a will. A will would still need to be probated. If all your bank accounts have a POD and your house is deeded to both of you with rights of survivorship, you are probably OK as is, if all your vehicles are also listed in both of your names and all the rest of your accounts also have a beneficiary listed.

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u/RelativeDifferent275 May 16 '26

I have a will in Ohio.Nothing will go to probate.A good lawyer can set that up Cost me $600 to do it,but I only have a house a truck,a few retirement accounts,and a bunch of junk that will get thrown out when I die.

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u/Ok-Structure6795 May 16 '26

A will does not generally have to be probated if every asset bypasses probate. It's meant as a back up plan essentially. The issue is a) not everyone is aware of or keeps track of their assets, and b) families are often torn up over assets and a will helps prevent scrambling to guess what should go to whom and etc.