| “Probate” is the legal process
of settling an estate of a deceased person, specifically
resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's
property under a valid will. The probate court process is
also used to handle estate where no will exists. In such
cases, the court follows the laws of intestacy.
Probate is
a service that a court provides to confirm the validity of a
deceased person's will. Once a will has been probated by
the court, everyone can rely on its authenticity. Probate
protects the instructions of the deceased, confirms the
executor as the personal representative of the estate,
protects the interests of family members, and protects the
executor against claims and law suits.
Pursuant to statutes and local court rules, the basic steps
of estate administration through the probate court are as
follows:
1.
Application for authority to administer the estate
and admit the will to probate;
2.
Appointment of a personal representative;
3.
Gathering assets and obtaining appraisals as
required;
4.
Filing an inventory of the estate’s assets in a
timely manner;
5.
Payment of creditors;
6.
Filing of estate and income tax returns and payment
of taxes, if any;
7.
Distribution of remaining assets to beneficiaries;
8.
Closing the estate by filing a final account or
certificate of termination in a timely manner.
Probate Attorney, Kenneth L. Sheppard,
Jr., and his staff are experienced with the nuances and
facets encompassing Probate Law, and we encourage you
strongly to consider us as an option, for assisting you with
all of your probate, estate administration and guardianship
needs.
For assistance, please call us here at
Sheppard Law Offices for a FREE one-half (1/2) hour
consultation today.
1-877-505-9455
|
