Canton Probate Lawyer
When looking for knowledgeable and compassionate help with the process of probate administration in Canton, Hartford, or Waterbury, Connecticut, the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe, LLC is the right choice to assist your family with the process of distributing a loved one’s estate.
- Advanced Directives
- Asset Protection
- Conservatorship
- Elder Care
- Elder Law
- Estate Planning
- Estate & Gift Taxation
- Estate & Trust Litigation
- Guardianship
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Surrogate
- Living Wills
- Medicaid Planning
- Power of Attorney
- Revocable Living Trust
- Special Needs Trust
- Trust Administration
- Trusts
- Wills
What is Probate?
You may have heard the term “probate” but never learned what it means—nor why so many people seem upset about the probate process. Probate is the term for the administration of a deceased person’s estate, as supervised by a court of law. Probate ensures that the will left behind by the deceased person (often referred to in the legal context as the “decedent”) was created in a legitimate, legal manner, and is carried out according to their wishes. The court appoints an executor, then oversees the process of the determination of all assets owned by the decedent, the closeout of the deceased person’s financial affairs including payment to any creditors, and the distribution of all their assets before closing the estate.
What is probate like if the deceased person didn’t leave behind a will?
When a person dies without leaving behind a will or other form of estate plan, they are deemed to have died “intestate.” When a person dies intestate, their property will pass to spouses or family members according to what are known as the laws of intestacy. This means that a person’s spouse, children, parents, or siblings are most likely to receive any assets owned by the deceased person.
Probate administration in the event of intestacy can have even greater consequences for the deceased person’s family and loved ones than when a will exists to guide the court. Choosing the right Hartford County probate lawyer is critical to ensure your interests are protected. Contact Canton probate attorney Brian S. Karpe for compassionate legal help with the probate process after a loved one dies without a will.
How can a skilled attorney help make the probate process easier for me and my family?
There are many ways that a knowledgeable and effective Connecticut estate planning attorney can help Hartford area families make the probate process simpler. Canton probate lawyer Brian S. Karpe has the necessary experience, both as a probate attorney and in estate planning, to help your family complete the process of probate administration as painlessly as possible. Should any legal challenges arise, Brian S. Karpe’s years as a successful litigator mean that he’s ready to represent you in probate litigation.
Making probate easier starts with the skillful creation of an estate plan. While this includes the drafting of a last will and testament that can stand up to court scrutiny, it also includes the creative allocation of assets. For example, seasoned estate planning attorneys know that the use of trusts to hold assets will exempt those assets from the probate process and allow the owner to place certain terms and conditions on how the trust assets should be distributed to the beneficiaries.
There are other ways to keep assets owned by a deceased person from passing through probate. For example, certain financial accounts, such as retirement accounts, allow the owner to designate a beneficiary. When a beneficiary is designated, that asset will pass directly to the beneficiary rather than only becoming that person’s asset after the probate is complete. Ensuring that a beneficiary is designated and that the identity of the beneficiary is updated regularly to reflect the wishes of the account owner can eliminate additional, often significant, assets from the estate that otherwise need to go through probate.
Another way that those crafting an estate plan can save assets from going through probate is by designating a joint owner or holding an asset in a revocable or “living” trust, rather than there being only one owner of a large asset. When an asset is owned jointly or is held in a revocable trust, the asset automatically passes to the surviving joint owner or the person designated by the trust without that person having to wait for the completion of the probate administration process to take ownership of that asset.
After a loved one has died, choosing the right Hartford probate administration attorney can take the burden of probate administration off the shoulders of the deceased person’s family at a time when their attention should be focused on mourning and healing from their loss. Brian S. Karpe has committed himself to becoming a superior choice as a probate attorney in the Canton area. Mr. Karpe has not only spent three decades as a practicing attorney, but he has also earned an advanced Masters of Laws degree focused on elder law and estate planning. Selecting the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe, LLC to handle your probate administration needs means that you can rest assured knowing that the cumbersome paperwork associated with the probate process, complex legal questions, and mandatory tax returns that must be filed upon death are all in capable and experienced hands.
Dedicated Help With Probate Administration in Hartford County
Contact the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe, LLC for help you can trust from a Canton probate lawyer serving Hartford County, Litchfield and Waterbury.
