Friday, October 31, 2008

Estate Probate Attorney Help in Proper Distribution of Decedent’s Estate

A probate is considered to be a legal process and comes under the jurisdiction of the court. You will need assistance from an Estate Probate attorney to pursue the proper legal course but there are some conditions, which has to be met so that the court can get involved. Unless mentioned otherwise in a will, in most cases, the probate court will carry on with the proceedings for disbursement of a decedent's assets to the heirs or rightful beneficiaries as mentioned in the will. The probate court will oversee each and every aspect of the probate proceedings so that the deceased person's debts are paid, taxes are taken care of and the assets are properly distributed to the rightful heirs.

Whether the decedent has a proper will or not, if he/she has an estate then it will be probated in the court. Normally, if the decedent has a valid will, then the will is treated as the legal document for determining how the estate of the decedent will be transferred through the probate process and who will receive the assets i.e., the heirs. If the decent has not made a will before dying then the court will decide who the rightful heir is and how the estate will be distributed. In such a scenario an Estate Probate attorney can guide you through the entire process.

An Estate Probate attorney can also help in making an estate plan or a will. After all, no one can be certain about life and death can come to anyone and at anytime. It is always considered best to have a probate attorney around who have the experience and the expertise to tackle the situation that may arise in the near future and to help you plan in advance. Estate planning is considered as an important aspect because the better you plan it; the easier it will be in distributing it or managing it in the future. If there is a proper estate plan in place and a will then it is easier for the court to proceed without wasting any time and most often than not, the distribution of assets or estate is smooth. The probate court will even take care of any taxes or any debt that a decedent may owe to any creditors.

Another important aspect of estate planning and creating the will is naming a personal representative. There are several aspects that you might be unaware of and this is what an Estate Probate attorney will assist you with. Basically, the person you will name as the personal representative will be handling all affairs related to your estate after you death. On the other hand, if you have not been able to make a will before death then it will remain in the hands of the court to choose a personal representative who will there onwards handle all the affairs of the estate and even help in distributing the estate to the heirs. Normally the court will appoint a family member like your spouse, sibling or even an adult child as the personal representative of your estate.

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