Practice Description
Estate Planning
Having a comprehensive estate plan is a good idea for everyone, regardless of his or her age or health condition. If you die without the proper documents, your estate will be distributed after death according to the State's laws of intestacy. A properly drafted estate plan will replace the terms of the State’s estate plan with your own. We help our clients create a customized estate plan which addresses their concerns and accomplishes their goals.
There may also be advantages to establishing a trust, including avoiding probate, preserving wealth, and minimizing estate tax burdens.
During your introductory call, we will speak with you about your specific needs and suggest which estate planning would best suit your circumstances. Our estate planning services are based on flat fees, so you will know your total costs up-front.
Probate
Probate is the judicial process through the court system to ensure the legal transfer of assets from the deceased’s name to the names of the deceased’s legal heirs or beneficiaries.
It is also generally necessary to prove the validity of a will, appoint someone to manage the estate, inventory and appraise estate property, pay the deceased’s debts and taxes, and distribute the estate property as directed by the will (or by state law if there is no will).
Probate proceedings typically take between 6-12 months. However, probate cases may linger for several years if beneficiaries are disputing or if the deceased left property in multiple states.
In terms of cost, every probate proceeding is different. Costs include court filing fees, attorney fees, appraisal fees, professional fees such as tax preparation, executor compensation, document certification fees, recording fees, and more. Probate services are billed at an hourly rate.
