When someone in your life dies, the probate process begins to determine the status of their estate. Every city or county has its probate court, and you must work with the court to settle the estate before property can be divided or sold. There are a few tips below that explain how you should manage your will, what people do when someone dies, and how you can work with a lawyer to complete this process as quickly as possible.
What Is Probate?
Probate is the process the court uses to prove that someone’s will is valid. Every state has its own rules, but the basics of probate are the same across the country. Probate starts when someone dies. You should bring the will to a lawyer who can help you “probate” the will. Your lawyer will fill out several documents, and they will begin to research the will. The will is submitted to the court with all the necessary documents, and the court will determine who can administer the will. However, you should know that the will can, at times, also carry forward the deceased’s debts with only few assets and property left behind. So, in such cases it is necessary to look out for appropriate ways of handling an insolvent estate before taking any action. Nonetheless, for now, let’s take a glance at the various aspects of probate process.
How do you contest a will?
In order to contest a will you must be an 1) eligible person and 2) believe you have been left without adequate provision. If you meet these criteria you can proceed to file a Family Provision claim to your local court. It’s important you file the claim before the estate assets have been distributed, otherwise they might be sold, transferred or spent by the recipients.
You usually have 6 months to make a claim. If you plan to make one after the 6-month period, you will need to provide the court with reasons for the delay. For more information on how to contest a will, we recommend getting legal advice from a wills lawyer.
Why Is The Will Investigated?
Estate planning starts when you write a will. There were witnesses present when that will was written, and those witnesses must be found. Your lawyer will find the witnesses, or they will get a signed affidavit from their employer that states they were present.
Some people can avoid this problem by updating their will once every year tens years or so. By doing this, you will have new witnesses that are easier to find. You want to make the process as easy for your family as possible.
What Does The Court Do With The Will?
Every municipality has its own rules for probating a will. There are cases when you may need to put an ad in the paper to find any other heirs. This is a standard rule many courts use. Also, the court may ask for financial reporting and other documents that you will submit every year. Your lawyer will ask to waive financial reporting, and they will argue that you should be able to probate the will, fulfill the wishes of the will, and receive a letter of testamentary stating that someone is the administrator of the will.
What Happens If You Are An Only Child?
If you are an only child, you will receive everything in your parents’ estate. This is fairly common, and you are typically named the administrator of the estate. You can take possession of their home, cars, and belongings. You can sell or use these items, and you could even have the titles transferred into your name.
What If The Will Is Split Among Many People?
When the will is split among several people, the administrator must do what the will says. When they have fulfilled all the obligations laid out in the will, they can ask to have the will closed. Some people will have themselves removed from that role because the will have been satisfied. If you need to keep the will because you have passed property and possessions on to different people, but you must make sure that those people have the titles transferred into their name.
During the probate process, you only prove that the will is valid and the will has been satisfied. You cannot make people do things that help them transfer property into their names. If those titles are ever challenged, the will much be reviewed again in the future.
Why Should You Use A Lawyer?
You may not want to pay a lawyer, but you need the assistance of someone who knows how to probate the will quickly. You can pay the lawyer a retainer fee, and they will not need much else from you. Most lawyers can probate a will quickly because as long as there are no complications.
The lawyer could help you make adjustments to how the will be handled because that will make it easier for everyone. When everyone agrees, you can adjust the probate process accordingly. Plus, the lawyer could help with things like quit claim deeds on houses or transferring car titles. The lawyer does not do these things for you, but they can explain what you need to do. Also, they might know where to go to get this done quickly because they are in and out of government buildings every day.
Should A Lawyer Write Your Will?
A lawyer should write your will so that it is written properly. A lawyer knows all the legalese that they need to use, and they will prevent any confusion in the future. Plus, the lawyer can manage the will in the future if they are still working. Most lawyers will sell their practice when they retire, and that makes it very easy for you to find their associates in the future.
Conclusion
When you want to write a will or handle someone’s will after they die, you should turn to a lawyer for help with the probate process. Probate can be very simple, and you should ask a lawyer to help get around any bureaucracy that could cause problems in the future.
