Torrington Probate Lawyer
Probate is the legal process of ensuring that a deceased person’s assets are distributed according to their will. As the executor or administrator to the estate, probate is your responsibility, and it is up to you to ensure that it is done correctly and in a timely manner so that beneficiaries and heirs can receive their property as soon as possible. Probate is a lengthy, complex process that involves petitioning the court, locating assets, and working with financial experts to value certain assets such as real estate and financial holdings, and much more. As such, we encourage you to consider handing off this important and complex job to an attorney with the specific training and knowledge needed to carry out such tasks. The Torrington probate lawyer at The Law Office of Brian S. Karpe can lift this weight off your shoulders.
The Probate Process
Probate is simply the legal process of validating a will. While estates without any real property and have a total value under $40,000 do not have to go through full probate, all other estates must pass through probate before beneficiaries and heirs can receive their property. Unfortunately, probate is already a length process, with the majority of wills unable to pass through probate in less than half a year. Probate involves petitioning the probate court, waiting on approval for the executor’s letters of administration, locating and gathering all estate assets, valuing those assets, notifying and paying creditors, paying taxes, then distributing assets to beneficiaries in accordance to the will.
How a Probate Administration Lawyer Can Help
A probate administration lawyer takes on all of the executor’s duties when it comes to administering the estate, including the more complicated aspects, such as inventorying assets, notifying creditors and giving them an opportunity to file claims for payment, and ensuring that distribution is done in accordance with the will. As the executor to the estate, it is your fiduciary duty to act in the best financial interest of the estate. Executor’s can face serious liability by making errors, such as allowing assets to fall into decay, or by acting in their own best interest (even if they are named in the will to take on the majority of assets). While most wills pass through probate without too many complications, a lot can go wrong during the probate process, particularly when:
- There are allegations of undue influence, coercion, or incompetency when the will was created or modified
- The will is incomplete or difficult to understand
- There are already disagreements within the family
- There are considerable assets involved
- The assets include family owned businesses or multiple real estate properties
Call a Torrington Probate Lawyer Today
By working with a lawyer, you free yourself not only from potential liability if something were to go wrong during probate, but you also free yourself of a complicated legal headache during a time when most people only want to remember their loved one and grieve for their loss. Contact a Torrington probate lawyer today to get started. You can reach The Law Office of Brian S. Karpe today at 860-217-1458 to schedule a free consultation.
