General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order is a commonly used form within District of Columbia. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order:

• This form pertains to the State of District of Columbia

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about District of Columbia’s Form General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct District of Columbia form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some District of Columbia probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in DC are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in District of Columbia.

5 reasons you should submit this form as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster District of Columbia can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in District of Columbia. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of District of Columbia is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for District of Columbia probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local District of Columbia probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some District of Columbia probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within District of Columbia.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the District of Columbia probate court office.

General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any District of Columbia-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on District of Columbia Form General Forms (Con) - Petition For Referral To Auditor-master And Order. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION _________ INT _________ _________ IDD _________ _________ ADM _________ _________ GDN _________ _________ CON _________ _________ TRP _________ In re: ________________________________ An Adult PETITION FOR REFERRAL TO AUDITOR-MASTER 1. I, ________________________________________, certify that I am the (successor fiduciary, an interested person, other) in this matter, and request that the Court refer this matter to the Auditor-Master, pursuant to Superior Court, Civil Rule 53. 2. As grounds, the undersigned respectfully states that the (fiduciary, power of attorney, etc.) has failed to properly account for the assets of this estate. 3. Specifically, the fiduciary has not accounted to the (interested persons, the successor personal representative, to the Court) for A. the following assets (list the specific assets to be accounted for): _____________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ B. the dates that the accounting should cover: ______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ C. and has also done (or not done) the following: i. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ii. ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 4. I have taken the following steps to secure this information: A. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ B. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 5. WHEREFORE, the undersigned asks that the Court refer this matter to the Auditor-Master so that he can: A. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ June 2010 – 928.10.v1 B. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ C. __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ (Pleading must be notarized in intervention, guardianship, conservatorship, and trust proceedings, and verified in decedent’s estates.) VERIFICATION I, ____________________________, being first duly sworn, on oath, depose and say that that I have read the foregoing pleading by me subscribed and that the facts therein stated are true to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief. _________________________________ Signature of petitioner Subscribed and sworn to before me this ____ day of ________________, 20______. _________________________________ Notary Public/Clerk CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I certify that on the ____ day of ______________, 20___, a copy of this filing was either eServed in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Order 13-15 or served by first class mail, postage prepaid, on the following persons (list names and complete mailing addresses): ____________________________ Signature June 2010 – 928.10.v1 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION _________ INT _________ _________ IDD _________ _________ ADM _________ _________ GDN _________ _________ CON _________ _________ TRP _________ In re: ________________________________ An Adult ORDER OF REFERENCE TO AUDITOR-MASTER Upon consideration of the record herein and the failure of , the , to , and it appearing that: a final account must be stated on his/her behalf and that it is necessary to have the account stated by the Auditor-Master, or _____, it is hereby on this day of , 20________ , ORDERED that pursuant to Superior Court, Civil Rule 53, this matter is referred to the Auditor-Master for his appointment, provided that, pursuant to Rule 53(b)(3), his appointment shall not be effective until he files an affidavit, within three days of the service of this order, disclosing that there is no basis for his disqualification under Superior Court, Civil Rule 63-I, and it is further ORDERED that the Auditor-Master shall be appointed in this case without limitation on his powers as set forth in Rule 53, to perform the duties described herein, and it is further ORDERED that the Auditor-Master shall move with all reasonable diligence in the execution of this Order, and is directed, upon the effective date of his appointment, to promptly schedule a meeting of the parties within twenty (20) days, and thereafter to file a written report June 2010 – 928.10.v1 with appropriate findings and recommendations with the Court within days of the date of this Order, and the Court will review the Report in accordance with Superior Court, Civil Rule 53(g), and it is further ORDERED that a party may file objections to -- or a motion to adopt or modify -- the Auditor-Master's report and recommendations no later than 20 days from the time the Auditor- Master's report and recommendations are served, unless the Court hereafter sets a different time, and if no objections or motions are filed, the Court may adopt the report, and it is further ORDERED that ex parte communications are permitted between the Court and the Auditor-Master for scheduling, administrative or emergency purposes, and it is further ORDERED that ex parte communications are permitted between the Auditor-Master and parties, witnesses and other persons: 1. for the purpose of scheduling meetings or hearings, and 2. for the purpose of gathering documentation in support of the report, 3. so long as such communications do not involve substantive matters or issues on the merits, and 4. provided that the Auditor-Master shall maintain, as part of the record, a log of the name of persons communicated with, along with the date, time and substance of all communications made pursuant to this Order, which log shall be available for viewing by all parties. It is further ORDERED that the Auditor-Master shall not be compensated by the parties, but shall be entitled to recover costs as detailed in the Report, and it is further ORDERED that the Auditor-Master shall preserve the record upon which his report is based for one year after the report has been ruled upon by the Court and any appeals thereof exhausted. ________________________________ JUDGE Copies to: Louis L. Jenkins Auditor-Master D.C. Superior Court Gallery Place, Room 623 Attached List June 2010 – 928.10.v1 June 2010 – 928.10.v1 cc: