Avon Probate Lawyer
Probate is the official proving of a will in court, involving the payment of debts and taxes, notification of creditors and beneficiaries, and the eventual payment of assets to heirs according to the provisions outlined in the will. Probate administration is the responsibility of the person named as executor or administrator to the will: usually a spouse, adult child, sibling, or other close relative or friend to the testator (person who wrote the will). However, probate administration is a complex legal process that should only be handled by an experienced attorney; executor’s usually hand off this task to lawyers due to the complexity of the process, the financial liability that the job creates, and the massive undertaking that the entire ordeal requires. The Avon probate administration lawyer at The Law Office of Brian S. Karpe handles probate administration, litigation, and all other areas of estate law and estate planning.
How Probate Administration Works in Connecticut
Sometimes simply locating and getting one’s hands on the decedent’s will is a difficult task. But this is the first step in probate administration. Once the will has been located, the executor to the estate must petition the court to probate the will (prove its validity). It is the court’s duty to oversee everything that the executor or their attorney does, including how debts and taxes are paid, that creditors and beneficiaries are notified and given time to make claims against the estate, and the distribution of assets to heirs and beneficiaries. Once the court has given the okay to the executor to act on behalf of the estate, the true legwork begins.
The second main step during probate is locating all of the estate assets and assigning value to them. Even if the decedent just had one bank account, one retirement account, and one real estate property, this step is still complicated. At this phase, debts must also be accounted for. Debts and any applicable taxes must be paid, and creditors and beneficiaries must be allowed time to file claims, as earlier noted.
The final step in probate administration is distributing assets according to the provisions outlined in the will. After this is accomplished, the executor gives a final report to the probate court and is released from their fiduciary duty as executor.
Why an Attorney is Necessary During Probate Administration
An attorney will petition the court for you, assist in locating and inventorying assets, value assets, notify creditors, determine what debts should be paid and which do not have to be paid, distribute assets, and perform all other required duties of the administrator. In short, an attorney will take this complex job off the executor’s shoulders.
Call an Avon Probate Lawyer Today
If your loved one recently passed away, and it is your duty to perform the jobs outlined above as the executor or administrator to the estate, an attorney can help. We strongly encourage you to reach out to the compassionate, experienced Avon probate administration lawyer at The Law Office of Brian S. Karpe. for a free consultation today. Call us at 860-217-1458.
