Estate Administration & Probate

Estate planning is the process of designing a plan for leaving your estate to loved ones in the most efficient way possible. Estate administration & Probate is the final step of this efficient process.

Estate Administration

Estate administration is required when your estate plan includes a revocable living trust, and provides for the successor trustees you designated in your trust to step into action and execute according to your instructions.

The estate administration process carries a lot of responsibilities. We assist successor trustees:

• Explanation of trustee’s responsibilities
• Identifying trust assets
• Funding of sub-trusts
• Distributing trust assets to trust beneficiaries

Probate

Probate in state is a court-supervised process for distributing assets according to a person’s will. During Probate an executor is named, the debts of a deceased person are identified and paid, and the estate assets are distributed to the beneficiaries of the person’s estate.

Probate attorney Nicole James assists executors providing valuable guidance during each phase of the probate process:

• Review of the executed will
• Gathering and valuing all assets of the estate
• Identifying beneficiaries
• Explanation of executor’s responsibilities
• Estate tax analysis
• Collection of death benefits
• Creation of sub-trusts
• Preparation of Probate Court documents

We can help guide your loved ones through the Estate Administration or Probate process as sensitively and completely as possible. Contact probate attorney Nicole James today to discuss your needs.