Probate Lawyer

A probate lawyer can help with several key issues related to testament. Perhaps the last thing that you would want to go through or want an estate of a deceased loved one to suffer from is probate. Probates are lengthy, complex, and expensive legal processes that can significantly shrink the estate of a deceased person, leaving very little for the survivors. However, a probate lawyer can help you avoid and pass through the complex probate procedure. This article covers many important aspects discussing probate and hiring a probate attorney.

 

What is probate?

Probate is a legal process to evaluate and authenticate a deceased person’s will. It also involves providing administrative assistance to execute a deceased person’s will or administer the estate of a deceased person when there is no will. If you find it difficult to understand the above definition of probate, know that probate matters are more difficult. Therefore, your first state probate and their deployment to avoid probate. Depending on your situation and circumstances, a probate lawyer can guide you toward the best options in your case. A probate attorney can help you bypass and defend your rights by enforcing the lawful will of a deceased person.

 

Is probate necessary?

Probate is avoidable. It only becomes necessary when no steps are taken to prevent it, such as using estate planning tools other than a will. Laws in some states also have a prescribed amount of value below which no estates should go through probate. This means that the estate of a deceased person can be directly settled and distributed. A probate lawyer can help you smoothly achieve this objective. But when a state law or the estate’s value requires probate, it is necessary and becomes an unavoidable obligation. Under such a situation, performing any action on the deceased person’s estate that may constitute interference with probate matters should be completely avoided.

 

How does a probate process work?

Probate laws vary according to each state. Some state laws have a value cap on the amount of estate left behind by a deceased person. Then, any estate below this cap might either require no probate or may follow a simpler method to disburse the deceased person’s property. In other normal cases, a probate process will likely consist of the following procedures –

 

Situation # 1 – No will present or intestate estate.

Intestate is the term used to refer to a person dying without a will. In cases where a court declares a will to be invalid, the deceased person’s estate is also said to be intestate. The court generally decides intestate matters according to the state laws of intestacy.

 

Situation # 2 – Will present and specifically names a person as an executor of the will.

In such a situation, the executor must file the required documents with the local court at his earliest. Each state’s laws will prescribe the anticipated time frame for the executor to file for the probate process. After the submission of all the required documents, the probate process begins. The probate court usually begins with judging the validity of the will submitted by the executor. Once the court accepts the will to be valid and a true last testament of the deceased, it assigns the executor the legal power to execute the will’s contents. In some states, before an executor can begin his duties, he might have to file a surety bond with the probate court. The executor, among other functions, will carry out the following acts –

• Collect information about the deceased person’s spouse, heirs, relatives, etc. In some cases, he might as well have to locate the heirs if no one claims to be the legal heir of the deceased person.
• Collect information about the assets and properties the deceased person owns and evaluate their proper value.
• Pay taxes, collect bills and make subsequent payments, and pay off the debtors and liabilities out of the deceased person’s estate.
• Some states may require an executor to maintain, as well as submit to the court, a proper record of the actions carried out by him.

 

 

Situation # 3 – Will present but does not specifically mention the name of the executor.

In such a case, the probate court appoints an administrator or executor, who may be next of kin, to carry out the same actions described in situation # 2 above.

 

Why appoint a probate lawyer near me?

Finding probate lawyers near me means consulting an attorney with professional competence in your state’s probate law. Doing this becomes important for several good reasons. For your convenience, we have categorized these reasons into primary and secondary. While there is only one primary reason to hire a probate lawyer, you will realize its importance as you read further. Just by not skipping the primary reason, most of the secondary reasons to hire a probate lawyer can be easily avoided.

 

 

The primary reason to hire a probate lawyer

 

1. A probate lawyer can help avoid probate altogether

Primarily, and what should be the ideal case is to appoint a probate attorney when making a will. With careful planning and much-needed assistance, a probate lawyer can help avoid the probate altogether. A comprehensive discussion to understand the main reasons for avoiding probate in the first instance is available later in this article.

 

Secondary reasons for hiring a probate lawyer

Other cases where a probate lawyer can help you and your loved ones are –

 

1. Undue influence

Undue influence is a situation where one person has the position to take advantage of the other person against their choice. If a deceased person’s heirs have reasonable doubt to believe that the will was primarily constituted under undue influence, they can challenge its content. A probate lawyer can help you establish such facts and present them in court compellingly.

 

2. Will contest

A will contest when an obligation is raised against the validity of a will. A will may contain an error needing correction for which seeking a court’s help is necessary. A probate lawyer can help in filing such appeals.

 

3. Mental incapacity

If the heirs have reasonable grounds to believe that the deceased person lacked sound-mindedness at the time of making the will, questions may arise about the validity of the will. A probate lawyer could help establish this fact and get the heirs their lawful share in the deceased person’s estate.

 

4. Breach of fiduciary duties

If the heirs doubt that an executor of the will has conducted a breach of his fiduciary duties, they may file an appeal with the court in this regard. A probate lawyer can ask the court to stop further disbursement of the deceased person’s estate and appoint another person to administer the process.

 

Why should you or your loved one avoid probate?

While probate matters might be simple in some cases, this isn’t the situation always. Reasons for which you or anyone else should avoid going through probate are –

 

1. Probate is unnecessarily time-consuming

Matters pending probate litigation could face delays and prolong an unanticipated time frame. Depending on the severity of the ongoing events, probate litigation could take a few weeks and months to even several years to settle. Some reasons why probate could delay are –

• When there are more beneficiaries, and they live in different faraway states.
• The deceased person’s estate is in more than one state.
• Estates require filing estate tax returns which itself is a time-consuming procedure.
• The estate includes assets whose valuation procedure itself isn’t easy and simple.
• Beneficiaries have disputes in between.
• Will contest issues.
• When too many will exist, none exclusively mentions being the testament.

 

2. Probates are expensive

Probates can be expensive to settle, as there can be documentation charges, administrative costs, probate lawyer fees, and other expenses. These expenses will keep on recurring until the probate case is finally settled. Probate trials are also known to shrink the estate size due to their costs. This way, the outcome of probate may or may not be worth the effort and resources you investigate.  All information revealed and shared during probate litigation proceedings will become a public record. This can further cause delays in the entire process. For example, a false heir or fraud creditor gets involved in the case and demands a share in the deceased person’s estate. Probates expose your wealth and what you are about to inherit. This can further create issues for you.

 

4. The probate court’s judgment may not turn out to be favorable

Even after going through such a lengthy procedure, it is possible that the court rules out against your expectation. If you file an appeal against such a court decision, it will further delay the process.

 

What are probate lawyer fees, or how much do probate attorneys cost?

The fees of a probate lawyer highly depend on the type of service you are looking for. A probate lawyer may bill you hourly or flat rates for a simple will correction or for creating a will. But for pursuing complete probate litigation, probate lawyers will charge you depending on the work involved. For example, a probate lawyer may bill for his services hourly. Or, instead, he can also charge a fixed percentage rate from the amount of settlement you receive.

 

Facts to Know Before Hiring A Probate Lawyer

There is no doubting the fact that the probate process is complicated as well as time-consuming. This is why you need the services of our probate lawyer. Such an expert will help ensure you fulfill a deceased’s last wishes. However, note that there are things you need to know before hiring the services of any probate attorney. These are highlighted below:

• If the estate isn’t more than 150,000 dollars, it is recommended to go for simple probate.
• Ensure there are enough funds to cover the deceased debts and other expenses.
• Have vast knowledge about the descendant’s family

In a nutshell, a probate process is not as straightforward as you think. This is because there are lots of complications involved. For instance, you may have problems with creditors of the deceased or even his family members. You need a probate lawyer that is sound in such an area to help out.

 

Probate lawyers near me

Since probate laws vary according to state, hiring the right probate lawyer becomes highly important. A probate lawyer should know the probate law of the county where the case is under trial. As mentioned earlier, your priority should be to hire a probate lawyer to avoid probate altogether. However, if you or your loved one’s lack of awareness has resulted in probate, you should immediately consult a probate lawyer without further delay.

And since you are almost done reading this article, why not take advantage of our probate lawyer free consultation offer? Probate lawyers at Attorneys Real Estate Group are experts in all areas related to real estate, including probate law in California. A few minutes of calls with one of our highly experienced probate lawyers in Sacramento will help evaluate your best options. You can get free legal consultation by filling in the form at this link. One of our attorneys will get back to you quickly and gladly assist you.

We look forward to welcoming you soon.