Probate

The passing of a loved one can be a stressful and upsetting event.  Consequently, dealing with financial and legal issues often becomes a very difficult and burdensome task for family members who are often still consumed with the grieving process.  During this period we provide the sensitivity and compassion necessary to ease those family burdens by completing the often complex and arduous task of estate administration.  In doing so, we work with your executors and trustee, and other family members and professional advisors, in filing all necessary documentation, filing of tax returns, making critical tax elections, and ensuring that the process is carried out smoothly and in accordance with your wishes.

If estate planning is the process of designing a playbook, estate administration occurs when the playbook is put into action. The process begins with an event that triggers a provision in your estate plan, such as incapacity or death. The plan becomes “executory”, meaning that the individuals you designated in your plan documents must step into action and execute according to your instructions.

Probate is a court-supervised process for distributing the individually owned assets of a deceased person.  Assets are distributed to beneficiaries in accordance to the instructions written in the person’s will, or if there is no will, or if the will does not contain sufficient “instructions” to the executor, then the estate administration process must be conduted in accordance with court rules and procedures.