I am so sorry for your loss.  If all of the assets in your husband's estate passed via beneficiary designation or by operation of law (if you held everything jointly as husband and wife) then the only thing that is in his estate is the car.  North Carolina offers a procedure that will allow you to skip probate altogether when the value of all the assets left behind is less than $20,000.  It is called a small estate affidavit. But it's use may depend on the other heirs.  I would pay for a consultation with an estate attorney on a flat rate fee and tell him or her all the facts.  Good luck.