by Emerson Kutch
Published 3 years ago
Updated 1 year ago
6 min read
A probate attorney usually handles the process of estate administration after a person dies. An estate planning attorney, on the other hand, works with living clients on how their client's estates should be administered. The attorney could do that by helping clients prepare trusts, wills, and other relevant documents.May 8, 2020
What does an estate lawyer do after death?
finding out details of money owed to the estate. finding out details of money owed by the person who has died. preparing a detailed list of the property, money and possessions and debts in the estate. working out the amount of inheritance tax due and arranging to pay it.
How much does an estate have to be worth to go to probate?
Every state has laws that spell out how much an estate would need to be worth to require the full probate process—anywhere from $10,000 to $275,000.Dec 17, 2021
What assets are not considered part of an estate?
Which Assets are Not Considered Probate Assets?Life insurance or 401(k) accounts where a beneficiary was named.Assets under a Living Trust.Funds, securities, or US savings bonds that are registered on transfer on death (TOD) or payable on death (POD) forms.Funds held in a pension plan.More items...
Is probate necessary if there is a Will?
However there is no restriction in law to get a probate of a Will, even if it is not mandatory. Obtaining a probate is advisable, in cases where there is a probability of the validity of the Will being contested in future on any ground.Aug 10, 2020
Who Does What
When you’re winding up an estate, there’s usually a lot of legwork to be done—things like making phone calls and gathering documents. Many of these tasks don’t need to be done by someone with a law degree. So if you’re paying the lawyer by the hour, you’ll probably want to volunteer to take on some of this work yourself. Just make sure it’s clear who is responsible for what tasks, s…
It’s a good idea to ask the lawyer for a list of deadlines—for example, when is the cutoff for creditors to submit formal claims, and when will the final probate hearing be held? This will be helpful both if there are things you need to do, and if creditors or beneficiaries contact you with questions.
If everyone gets along, it probably makes sense for you, not the lawyer, to field questions from beneficiaries. It will save money, and you’ll know what beneficiaries are concerned about. If you send regular letters or emails to beneficiaries to keep them up to date (this usually helps keep them from fretting), you might ask the lawyer to review your communications before you send th…
Check in with the lawyer regular to see if anything is happening with the probate case. Usually, no news is good news. State law requires you to keep the probate case open for months, to give people time to come forward with disputes or claims—but in most probates, beneficiaries don’t argue about anything in court, and few creditors submit formal claims. By all means, ask the law…