Vern and Jane are divorced and have one son, Teddy, who has severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. When Teddy turns 17 ½ years old, Vern files a petition with the clerk of superior court of Unreal County to have Teddy adjudicated incompetent and an application to be appointed as Teddy’s guardian. G.S. 35A-1105; G.S. 35A-1210. After a hearing, the clerk finds clear, cogent, and convincing evidence of Teddy’s incapacity and enters an order adjudicating Teddy incompetent. G.S. 35A-1112(d). The clerk appoints Vern as Teddy’s guardian of the person and Jane, who also filed an application to be Teddy’s guardian, as his guardian of the estate.
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Incompetency Proceedings and the SCRA (Yes, You Read that Right)
We’ve now posted a handful of times about the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) on this blog. In particular, we’ve posted on the SCRA’s application to non-judicial foreclosures, juvenile proceedings, and family law cases. At the risk of being told that the blog should be renamed “The SCRA and Other Civil Stuff,” I’m going to add another SCRA post to the list. In my defense, over the course of the past few months I’ve received a number of questions regarding the applicability of the SCRA to proceedings before the clerk of superior court. In particular, I’ve been asked whether the SCRA applies to incompetency proceedings filed under G.S. Chapter 35A for the purpose of obtaining a guardian for an alleged incompetent adult. Here’s how I’ve answered the questions I’ve received:
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Funeral Expenses, Time Bars, and Attorney Fees– Oh My!
*This post was updated on July 27, 2015 to incorporate a reference to GS 28A-19-12.
Yesterday, the NC Court of Appeals published an impactful case in the area of estates – In re Taylor, ___ NC App ___ (July 7, 2015). It provides clarity in areas where there has been a varied set of practices from county to county. What did the court say? Continue Reading