what kind of attorney for estate administration

by Heidi Fritsch 3 min read

Estate planning attorneys, also referred to as estate law attorneys or probate attorneys, are experienced and licensed law professionals with a thorough understanding of the state and federal laws that affect how your estate will be inventoried, valued, dispersed, and taxed after your death.

Do I need a lawyer for estate administration?

An Overview Of Our Estate Administration Services. We are a well-rounded estate administration law firm and can aid with any of your administration needs. As your attorney, we will assist with: Paying debts and expenses, notifying creditors and filing final taxes; Locating and notifying the estate's legal heirs or named beneficiaries

What are the duties of an estate attorney?

If you are the executor of an estate, a probate & estate administration attorney can help. Probate & estate administration attorneys handle succession issues and can help you navigate court processes, payment of the deceased person's debts, distribution of property according to the will or estate plan, and probate litigation.

How much does an estate lawyer cost?

An estate attorney can help you create, modify, and administer a legally sound estate plan. An experienced and local lawyer will be best suited to understanding your state’s specific estate and intestacy laws, and as such can provide you with the most relevant legal advice in terms of your legal rights and options. Share Tweet Share

What Attorney handles estates?

Jan 21, 2022 · An estate planning attorney, also known as an estate lawyer, can help you create a solid plan for handling both of these situations. They can offer legal advice on wills, trusts, and your local probate process, and some estate lawyers may also have specialties, like planning the succession of a business.

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What Is an Estate Plan?

Whether they realize it or not, most everybody has an estate. All assets comprise an estate. These assets can include cash, savings accounts, retirement accounts, personal property like furniture and other possessions, jewelry, stocks and bonds, vehicles owned, homes owned, and more.

When Is It Necessary to Have an Estate Plan?

Not everyone needs to have an estate plan, though most people should have one. There are several factors to consider when determining whether a person should have an estate plan.

Do I Need an Attorney for an Estate Plan and Trust Administration?

While it is possible to create a will on your own, it is generally best to consult with an estate attorney who can ensure that your state’s statutes and regulations regarding estate planning are met. An estate planning attorney can also evaluate your needs and create an estate plan just right for you and your own personal circumstances.

What is an estate lawyer?

An estate lawyer is trained in matters related to passing on your assets after you die, and planning for situations where you can no longer care for yourself. They are experts in wills, trusts, and your local probate process. Some estate lawyers may also have specialties, like planning the succession of a business.

Who is Derek from Policygenius?

Derek is a personal finance editor at Policygenius in New York City, and an expert in taxes. He has been writing about estate planning, investing, and other personal finance topics since 2017. He especially loves using data to tell a story. His work has been covered by Yahoo Finance, MSN, Business Insider, and CNBC.

What is estate administration?

Put simply, estate administration is collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person's estate. Each state has its own probate laws, which govern the requirements and process for administering an estate. In some cases, an estate may need to be administered in more than one state.

What happens to estates when a person dies?

When a person dies, all of his or her possessions – real estate, money, stocks, personal belongings, etc. – become a part of his or her estate. Estate administration refers to the process of collecting and managing the estate, paying any debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining property to the heirs of the estate.

Do estate attorneys do estate administration?

Since estate planning and estate administration are so interrelated, many attorneys who practice estate planning also do estate administration. Estate planning attorneys need to understand how their strategies will impact the estate administration, and administration attorneys need to understand all the various estate planning techniques.

What is the purpose of an estate planning attorney?

Estate Planning: Estate planning attorneys write wills and trusts so that the testator’s assets are properly distributed after death. Tax Law: Estates are taxed heavily. A thorough understanding of tax law is essential to the estate planning process. Elder Law: Estate planning and administration needs change as testators grow older.

What is probate administration?

Definition of Probate and Estate Administration. Most people own some assets or carry some debt at the time of their death. The assets and liabilities of someone who has passed away from their “estate.”. Each state has its own set of laws governing what to do with the estate and how to accommodate the deceased’s estate plan - or lack thereof.

What is the process of closing an estate?

The process of closing an estate is overseen by the state’s probate court system. So, lawyers who work with probate laws and estate administration focus on what happens after someone dies, as opposed to estate planning attorneys, who try to put a plan in place before death.

What is estate tax?

Estate Taxes: Taxes the government levies when a property is transferred after death. Executor: The person who ensures the estate is disposed according to the deceased’s wishes. Administrator: The person charged with disposing of a deceased’s estate if that person died without a will.

What is transactional probate?

Transactional probate attorneys handle the administrative side of probates, and probate litigators represent clients in probate lawsuits. Some lawyers do both, but most of them tend to specialize in one area or the other.

What to do when someone close to you dies?

When a relative or someone close to you dies, you may need to find a good probate or estate administration lawyer to help you wrap up that person’s estate. The job of hiring a lawyer may fall to you if: you believe that the existing executor or probate attorney isn’t doing a good job.

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