Probating a Will – Get Our Help

Image of probate judgeFollowing the loss of a loved one, survivors are faced with all the complexities and legalities about how the decedent’s estate is to be distributed per the deceased ones’ Will or Trust. This process is known as Probate Administration and is judge-supervised.

If you are the one appointed to be the Executor of a Will or Trustee of a trust, you will be confronted with demands from beneficiaries, creditors, the IRS and California Franchise Tax Board for tax returns and payments.

The probate administration process – will take from 6 to 18 long months. Los Angeles Probate Lawyers are Probate Administration experts and be your on-call legal advisor to guide Executors, Trustees, Administrators, heirs and beneficiaries through the entire process of probating a will or administering a trust.

Legal Advice for Executors & Survivors.

Probate administration – If the decedent left a will, the decedent normally names a person to serve as the manager of his or her estate. That person is referred to as the Executor. If there is no will, the court will appoint an Administrator to manage the administration of the decedent’s estate. If you have been named as the Executor or Administrator of a deceased persons’ estate you will have a long laundry list of duties to perform. Probate administration requirements are specific and exact. Most people will want an experienced probate administration attorney to help them from time to time to be in compliance with the requirements of the probate court. We are experienced Probate Administration lawyers who can offer legal advice for Executors & Survivors as an on-call resource during this complex process.

Probate Administrators have Numerous Required Tasks

As the Executor or Administrator, you will have such tasks such as valuating and selling real estate, preparing tax returns, negotiating or defending any legal claims against the estate, and consoling or litigating the descendant’s estate from any unhappy beneficiaries who might decide to challenge the estate or even filing a lawsuit. Having a skilled and knowledgeable Los Angeles probate attorney on your team can help you overcome these obstacles when you are the Executor or Administrator who is probating a will and meeting the demands of the probate court.

As Executor or Administer – you are a considered a Fiduciary, which means that you have a duty to act in the best interests of the decedent’s estate. By law and by the expectations of moral conduct, you may not take advantage of your position for personal profit. Just like a licensed attorney, you are required to maintain the funds of the estate in a separate, well-defined bank account and provide an accounting to the probate court.

A number of specific actions are expected of an executor:

  • File the Petition for Probate
  • Publish Notice in Newspapers regarding the Petition to Administer Estate
  • Mail notices of hearing to all persons required to receive notice
  • File a bond
  • Prepare an Inventory and Appraisal of the assets
  • Give notice to known creditors of their opportunity to file claims against the estate
  • Pay debts, mortgages, etc. (You may have to sell assets to accomplish this.)
  • File an Accounting and Petition for Final Distribution and give notice to all parties

Experienced Los Angeles Probate Administration Attorneys

We serve residents in Los Angeles California and out-of-state clients who have a probate matter here in LA and need someone they can trust locally to watch out for their rights and interests. We are able to help you with your probate administration tasks by taking over the administration entirely, or to be there as a legal coach when you need us. Remember, that state law allows you to be paid from the estate as Executor or Administrator –and– to pay any legal help from the estate assets too. We would be delighted to help make your probate administration duties proceed as smoothly as possible.

Call To Schedule A FREE Consultation

Call us at (562) 265-1218 and we will get one of us attorneys on the phone immediately. If you are at work or unable to talk right now, please drop us a note using the quick contact form up a little bit on the left. We offer a FREE consultation by phone or in-person.