Probate Services
Probate. A word we’ve all heard yet few fully understand. Essentially, probate is the process by which someone is given legal authority to gather a deceased person’s assets, pay their debts and taxes, and ultimately transfer the remainder to the rightful inheritors.
The probate process is not always necessary. Usually, court proceedings are only required if the deceased person owned assets in his or her name alone. Other assets can likely be transferred to their new owners without probate.
For example, some assets that typically do not require passage through probate include:
assets the deceased person owned jointly with others, which pass automatically to the surviving owner(s).
assets for which proceeds are paid directly to a named beneficiary such as life insurance proceeds or pension benefits.
assets held in a revocable living trust.
The process can be long, but, we’ll do our job to see that your time is better spent with your loved ones to grieve in a manner that is more natural and less stressful.