Probate court can be a long and arduous process. It’s important to understand this process so that when you find yourself dealing with it, you have knowledge on your side. It’s also essential to know some of the snags that may arise so you can hopefully avoid them yourself.
What Are the Different Stages of Probate Court?
There are a number of stages of probate court, and you must familiarize yourself with them so that you’re ready when the time comes:
- Register the death of your loved one and make sure it is legally recognized.
- Discover whether or not there is a will and determine if it is valid and properly made.
- Beneficiaries register to receive what is given to them in the will.
- Receive the grant of probate.
- Notify organizations and banks to close their accounts. This is a crucial step to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
- Pay off debts and reach an agreement with creditors.
- Claim benefits via life insurance plans.
- Value the remaining assets and see what you’re working with.
- Administer assets to the beneficiaries laid out in the estate according to the will if it exists, and according to the law if no will exists before death.
Why Hiring an Estate Attorney or Probate Administrator Can Make It Less Stressful
As you can likely tell from this long list, this can be a long stressful process that comes at a time when you’re the least mentally able to handle it. Hiring someone to help can take some of that burden off of your family during a time when they should focus on their grief, not legal battles.
An estate attorney can help to ease the burden of your family. Now that you understand the stages of probate court, you’ll see how essential it is to get some help during these trying times. Check out our website to see why Mark A Weseman is so respected in his field.
