Benefits of Probate Attorney
There are many facets to the law. One of its most powerful applications is helping people plan for their future and their family’s future. Many put off such planning until it’s simply too late, mostly out of fear of contemplating morbid subjects such as serious injury and death. But putting off vital planning can cause a major problem for you and those you love down the road. A good probate attorney may be just what you need!
Reducing the Headache
Probate lawyers know the law concerning wills and trusts. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Ah, but consider — this is their area of specialization. They may or may not do other things, usually connected to probate law in some way, but this is the area they know inside and out.
They know all the procedures, rules, forms and documents. They know what kinds of common problems arise, and what options people have for resolving them. And they often know the key court officials well too. The peace of mind that comes from having a knowledgeable expert guide you to peace is simply incalculable.
Time
Nothing is really more valuable than time, is it? Money comes and goes, but lost time is never coming back. A skilled probate lawyer can afford you more of it.
While it may or may not be possible to plan your estate on your own, the amount of attention it would require would make it feel like a real odyssey. Without the magic and mermaids! You would have to collect every document, conduct every arcane procedure, meet every court requirement the State of California has laid out.
Trying to plan an estate yourself, you would inch along by trial and error. You would get sucked into details of law and case history you would have to figure out, and you would make huge mistakes like failing to appoint an executor. Those mistakes could impose huge costs on your family.
Disputes
There is nothing more heartbreaking than the possibility of your heirs fighting over your estate. At a time like that, family and friends should come together. But errors, omissions, and ambiguities in a will or other estate planning document can stoke disagreements that may end up becoming bitter, or at least making the process of administering an estate even longer and more aggravating than it already is.
If heaven forfends, your heirs end up in court, the resulting battle could substantially diminish the value of your estate. Legal documents should not be a source of family drama. In fact, quite the opposite should be the case. The proper function of the law, including probate law, should be to reduce conflict and maintain peace, especially within the family.
Probate
A well-crafted will is not enough to keep your executors and heirs out of probate court. You will also need to have a revocable living trust, a legal arrangement that holds your assets for the benefit of your heirs. Your assets will have to be less than $50,000 in real estate and $150,000 in their entirety. And you will need to designate beneficiaries and assign all your property to them.
Most people don’t enjoy thinking about these things, but again, the consequences of not doing so just make life worse. So think about it. All we really have is time, and spending just a bit of yours planning your estate carefully will save your loved ones a lot of theirs.