In a Nutshell

June 2022 | News & Updates
In this edition of our newsletter, celebrate with us our newest team member, discover an underused planning technique for your home that may help solve family squabbles, learn about our Family Round Table service and new Bride & Groom Bundle (perfect for wedding season), and find out where you can get copies of birth and death certificates in Wake County!
Occupied! But, by Whom?

Are you caring for an elderly parent or disabled sibling and concerned they might end up homeless if something happens to you? Feel torn between wanting to pass the family land to your kids yet needing to provide your new spouse with a place to live should you die first? The answer to your worries might be setting up a “Right of Occupancy” in your trust.

A Right of Occupancy directive allows you—the trust creator—to clarify important aspects about the property such as (1) who will own the property, (2) who is allowed to live on the property, (3) how long the occupant can stay there, and (4) who is responsible for paying the bills associated with the property. If the answer to “who will own the property” and “who is allowed to live on the property” is the same person or persons, then you do not need to set up a Right of Occupancy. If, however, you would answer those two questions differently, then a Right of Occupancy can be highly beneficial.

A Right of Occupancy is not the same thing as a “Life Estate.” In North Carolina, you can grant someone a life estate interest in your property by Deed. The Deed gets recorded at the Register of Deeds office in the county where the land is situated. Once recorded, the Deed becomes a public record anyone can find by searching on the Register of Deeds website. Also, with a life estate, the “life tenant” (that is, the one granted the life estate in the property) has the right to live on the property for the rest of his or her life. In addition, the life tenant has the power to sell or transfer his or her interest in the property to another. The same does not hold true for a Right of Occupancy. The following chart summarizes the key differences between a Right of Occupancy and a Life Estate.
The Right of Occupancy is an underused planning technique that can not only help reduce friction between your loved ones but also give you peace of mind that your spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend will not be rendered homeless because of your untimely passing. It won’t fix everything, but it can solve stressful matters of the heart—and of the home!
The Wake County Register of Deeds is making it easier than ever to get certified copies of the key documents every family should keep on hand. Wake County birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates are now available for pick up at three new locations in addition to the main office downtown.

The cost is $10 per certified copy. The Regional Centers, as well as the main office in Raleigh, are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for immediate (same-day) copies. Copies can be requested online to be mailed out to recipients within 10 to 14 days. Requests can also be mailed in to the Register of Deeds office.

Visit www.wakegov.com/vitalrecords for more information.
We're asking silly questions to let you know we know not to take ourselves too seriously (plus we're just plain curious). Respond below, then check out the results in next month's newsletter, where we'll also reveal staff favs (spoiler alert: it's all about Goodberry's for one of us)!
What's your favorite frozen summertime treat?
Ice cream
Frozen yogurt
Frozen custard
Italian ice / Shaved Ice
Popsicles