E212 How Does Probate Court Know Who to Notify?
After we published When Does the Executor Tell the Beneficiaries, many listeners and clients have asked: how does the court know who to notify? Great question; the answer depends on who the heirs are.
E207 Hire a Professional Executor for Your Insolvent Estate
Going through probate is a grueling 1-to-2-year process. Would you want to go through all that if you don’t even get anything out of it?
If you think the estate may be insolvent, consider hiring a professional executor.
What’s an Insolvent Estate?
An insolvent estate is when the decedent’s debts are greater than the assets. For example, the mortgage, credit card debt, and medical bills are greater than the value of the house and bank accounts.
There are also situations where the estate is close to being insolvent and you don’t realize it. Examples of this are Medicare clawback and unseen taxes. If you received medical care paid for by the government, the government will want the money back when you die. This could leave your estate with a large bill. Additionally, the IRS will look over your taxes carefully to be sure they didn’t miss anything.
Who Must Probate the Estate?
Many family members and heirs ask: am I required to be executor? The answer is no! You can decline or not act at all. Although, some may feel like they are dishonoring their deceased loved one by leaving the estate as a mess.
If you think the decedent is close to having an insolvent estate, you have options.
One not-so-great option is to let the state take over. There’s a state office (sort of like the public defender, but called a public administrator) that can step in. But, the interest in the estate and the incentives might not be the same as a person who you hire to help.
Instead, Hire a Professional Executor for the Estate
A better option is hiring a professional executor. You won’t have to do the stressful work yourself and you don’t have to feel bad about abandoning your loved one’s estate to the public administrator.
Even if the estate is NOT insolvent, you now have a relationship with the hired executor. This helps to make sure you get your inheritance. If the estate IS insolvent, then you can relax knowing that a professional is there to wrap up the estate.
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E203 Why You Need an Experienced Probate Lawyer
Linda spent six months working with a general lawyer (meaning someone who practiced personal injury, litigation, and a dash of probate on the side). There was not much progress in those six months, so Linda became frustrated and transferred the case to us. Sadly, we had to basically start from scratch, because the general lawyer did essentially nothing.
What causes probate delays? Bad lawyers
In Linda’s situation, six months went by and it was as if nothing happened in her case. One of the reasons for the delayed probate was because the general lawyer did not know what preliminary Letters Testamentary were. An experienced probate lawyer would have noticed right away that Linda had a complicated probate and would have immediately filed for preliminary Letters Testamentary. If this had been filed immediately, Linda could’ve started “executor-ing” months ago.
Another reason probate can be delayed is drafting the Petition wrong. In Linda’s case, the general lawyer didn’t understand which family members must be notified, and therefore hadn’t even begun collecting their contact information.
Lastly, probate can be delayed because a general lawyer might not realize that the Will isn’t properly witnessed. (As a side note, this is a good reason to find an experienced attorney to draft your Will). Getting the correct witnessing on a decedent’s Will takes a lot of time, including tracking down the witnesses and having them sign affidavits. An experienced probate lawyer would notice the incorrect witnessing and get started on the correction process immediately.
As with any practice, if a lawyer does not have much experience in a certain area of law, he or she will probably miss important details and cause delays.
When a lawyer gives bad advice
In Linda’s situation, her deceased relative owned an income-producing property, and the general lawyer told Linda not to collect rent anymore from the tenants! This led to non-payment and problems with the tenants, which will cost the estate more money to work out. Instead of listing the house on the market during the summer, this lawyer’s bad advice means that Linda now must winterize the house. With proper legal advice, the house could have been sold and done with before the cold. In summary, bad legal advice causes more stress and aggravation for the client.
How can you avoid all this? Shop around: Compare lawyers, call their office, and visit their websites. Make sure you’re working with an experienced probate lawyer from the beginning.
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E198 How to Change Your Probate Lawyer
You may be surprised to learn that we receive requests quite often from people who wish to change their probate lawyer. This was the exact situation one of our clients was facing recently.
E195 How to Sell A Deceased Person’s House
Quite often we are asked by family members and heirs what the process is to sell a deceased person’s home. It can be a complex and typically you should have a lawyer, but this blog shares a general understanding of how it works and what you can do to get started.
E191 3 Ways to Start Probate With No Upfront Fees
If you’ve done your research, you know that a good probate lawyer is not cheap. So how can you start your probate case even if you can’t pay now?
E189 Can an Executor be Out-of-State?
No, it’s not a good idea to have an out-of-state executor. Although it’s technically legally allowed, in reality an out-of-state executor causes tons of problems.
How to Probate a Will Out-of-State with Maureen Pritchard
Anthony shares the mic with his friend, Maureen Pritchard, a probate and estate attorney. Estates are always an issue to families of a decedent, and to clear things up in this area, Maureen shares her expertise with us. Listen as she answers common questions regarding probate and the decedent’s estate.
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