When you have lost a loved one, there is so much to handle, both logistically and emotionally. Losing someone you care about is not easy, yet it is something most all of us will experience in our lifetime. For people who lose close family members, like parents and siblings, there may be legal matters to handle when it comes to the person’s estate. Some people have a clear and defined estate plan, while for others, it may be less obvious.
They key to both of these situations is avoiding probate completely, or as much as possible. Probate is the process by which a will is proved to be accurate and valid in a court of law. While this may sound harmless enough, it can prove to be a long and trying process for the parties involved in probate as the will, and a person’s estate, cannot be cleared as long as there is an issue with the validity of the will.
As a rule of thumb, once a will passes through probate, this is when it can begin to move the person’s estate from its current condition onto the next stage. A person, or group of people, is often named to be responsible for the will and its requirements after a person’s death. Tasks such as beneficiaries receiving their share and paying off debts may be things on an executor’s to-do list. There may be specific conditions that may need to be met, according to the specifics in a person’s will.
It isn’t unusual to hear about family members disagreeing over a person’s will or the validity of it. This scenario is not ideal and can bring more stress to an already difficult situation. At the Miller Law Firm, we are here to support and guide our clients to the best and most efficient path while navigating this difficult, and often unfamiliar, time in their lives. Probate is ideally minimized and efficiently passed through to ensure a speedy and expedited process.
