Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan)

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.

Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) is a commonly used form within Tennessee. 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 Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan)

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan):

• This form pertains to the State of Tennessee

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 Tennessee’s Form Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan), take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in TN 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 Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) 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 Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) 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.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

👉 Find and Contact your Local Probate Court

👉 What is a Domicile Jurisdiction?

Sponsored by Atticus App

Need help with Tennessee Probate?

Join all the other families who have trusted Atticus through probate, and experience the peace that comes from knowing you're taking the right steps, spending the least amount of money, and not wasting a single second.

Start for free

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 Tennessee.

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

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Tennessee 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 Tennessee. 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan), and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) 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 Tennessee probate court office.

Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan) 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 Tennessee-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 Tennessee Form Small Estate Petition For Limited Letters Of Authority (Sullivan). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

Chancery Court PETITION AND ORDER- Sullivan County Case Number Blountville, Tennessee FOR SMALL ESTATE PR LIMITED LETTER OF AUTHORITY Page I of3 INRE:_____________________________________________, DECEASED Comes now, ______________ , Petitioner, who files this petition seeking Limited Letters of Administration/Limited Letters of Testamentary under the Tennessee Small Estate Act. The deceased, herein referred to as Decedent, age _____ , died on _____________ in _______________ County, State of Tennessee. Decedent's last residence was _________________ County, Tennessee, as evidenced by a copy of the death certificate which is being filed with this affidavit. __ The Decedent left no Will. __ The Decedent left a Will which was dated and signed on ___________________ and an Affidavit of the attesting witnesses has been filed or is attached with the Will __ The Decedent left a Holographic Will which was dated and signed on ___________________ and the Affidavits of two (2) disinterested persons attesting to the Decedent's handwriting has been filed or is attached with the Will. The names of the attesting witnesses or disinterested persons of the Will are: ____________________________ and____________________________. The Decedent died owning an interest in personal property, including all life insurance policies payable to the Decedent's estate, not to exceed the aggregate statutory amount of $50,000.00 as f ollows (Attach additional property on a separate sheet): Items Value Total Value $ __________________ The Decedent left the following unpaid debts at death (Attached additional sheet if necessary): Creditor □Bond must be posted in the amount of $______________________ Amount Location and Possession Address □Bond is excused: □Petitioner is the sole heir or beneficiary of the Decedent's estate. □Each person who is an heir/beneficiary of the Decedent is an adult and each has consented to waive the affiant's bond as evidenced by each heir/beneficiary's signed, acknowledged agreement to 'waive' bond which is filed along with this Petition. The following are the names and addresses of all beneficiaries or heirs of the Decedent which the Petitioner(s) is (are) obligated to noti fy at their last known address (Attach additional beneficiaries or heirs on a separate sheet): Name Address Age Relationship Your Petitioner(s) is(are) willing to collect and preserve all assets of the estate, including the removal of all of the Decedent's personal property from a leased property or facility by the Decedent as well as the cancellation of all insurance policies that are no longer applicable due to the Decedent's death. Your Petitioner(s) acknowledges that the Decedent did not have an interest in any real property. Your Petitioner(s) acknowledge liability to TennCare, if applicable, to the extent of the value of the personal property. Your Petitioner(s) further acknowledges that the Petitioner(s) and the sureties, if any , will automatically be discharged on the first anniversary of the filing of the affidavit. Your Petitioner(s) further evidences by signature hereto that, subject to penalty of perjury, the information contained herein is not false or misleading and the Petitioner(s) is not prohibited from filing affidavit because of having been sentenced to imprisonment in a penitentiary as set forth in§ 40-20-115 or otherwise. The Petitioner(s) is/are aware of and mindful of all duties imposed upon him/her in Tennessee Code Annotated §30-4-101 et se q . Your Petitioner(s) states that, to his/her knowledge and belief, the document being offered for probate has not been revoked and that the Petitioner(s) believes that the document being offered for probate is the Decedent's Last Will and Testament. I swear under penalty of perjury that all statements in the Small Estate documents I have executed and provided are true and accurate. I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will faithfully and honestly discharge the duties imposed upon me and as re q uired by law. Date: Petitioner Petitioner's Address Petitioner's Phone Number Sworn to and subscribed before me on _______________________ Clerk or Notary Public My commission expires: _________________ Whereas, it appearing that the above-named deceased person left property and debts subject to administration pursuant to the above-referenced statutory provisions, and ___________________________ is hereby authorized to serve in the limited role of Personal Representative. As such, Limited Letters of Administration/Testamentary of a Small Estate are hereby issued to the above-named individual being now therefore empowered to collect and preserve all assets of the estate, remove any personal property from a property leased by the decedent, and cancel any insurance policies no longer applicable due to decedent's death. Said assets are limited to those itemized in this Petition. The total value of Decedent's property shall not exceed $50,000.00. There is no real property at issue in this matter, and this limited letter in no way gives any authority to the personal representative to handle any real estate matters of the decedent. _____________________________Clerk and Master Date: ___________________ I, ___________________________, Clerk for the Chancery Court of Sullivan County, Tennessee, certify that this is a court of record; that this is a true, full and correct copy of the Petition and Order for Small Estate Limited Letter of Authority filed in this Court; that this Petition and Order is still in full force and effect as of this date; and that the original of this Petition and Order is on file in the office of the Chancery/Probate Court for Sullivan County, Tennessee. In witness whereof, I have issued this Limited Letter of Administration/Testamentary. Date: ___________________ Clerk or Deputy Probate Clerk