Estate Administration / Probate
Practice Areas
Estate Administration / Probate
Administering or handling an estate can be a detailed and sometimes complex process that can be overwhelming for descendants of a loved one. There are a number of responsibilities an Executor or Trustee must fulfill throughout the administration process. Depending on the size of the estate and the type of assets involved, the services of an experienced lawyer to help you through the process is a crucial element of effective estate administration.
At this law firm, our attorneys are able to assist the family members of a decedent in all aspects of the probate process, or trust administration. We assist clients in Will County, Cook County, and the greater Chicagoland area through this challenging time and offer no charge / no obligation consultations. We provide our clients with an honest assessments of what to expect regarding administrative expenses, including attorney’s fees.
If a loved one passes away without a Will and the estate needs to be settled, or if you have been named an Executor in a Will or Successor Trustee in a Trust, you have many fiduciary duties, some of which you may not be aware. We represent clients throughout the probate and estate administration process. We help clients through what can initially seem like a confusing and complicated process. The combination of dealing with the grief of your loss and dealing with unfamiliar legal issues can often be too much to bear. When you hire our firm, we will be there with you at every step, providing sound advice and working to ensure that the entire process goes smoothly.
- Among the Estate administration services we provide are:
- Filing and presenting the Will to the appropriate Jurisdiction.
- Complete review of Trusts and Estate planning documents of the Decedent.
- Filing a Probate petition, when necessary, in the appropriate county where the Decedent resided upon passing.
- Assisting in gathering assets and preparing an inventory for Beneficiaries.
- Assisting the Executor or Trustee in identifying the debts of the Estate.
- Pursuing any judgments or outstanding accounts receivable that are owed to the Estate.
- Defending against unfounded claims against the Estate.
- Assisting with distributing remaining assets to heirs and others who are entitled to distributions.
- Completing Final Reports and Receipts on Distribution to the Beneficiaries of an Estate
- In Probate cases, handle all aspects of opening and closing the Estate.
We have extensive experience in probate administration matters. We are committed to helping you through the entire process and work to resolve your case in the most expedient and cost-effective manner possible.
We accomplish these goals using common Estate Administration / Probate tools such as:
Living Trust
This is your "legal box". It holds your assets and contains instructions regarding the management and distribution of your assets upon your disability or upon your death.
Certification of Trust
This is your "legal box". It holds your assets and contains instructions regarding the management and distribution of your assets upon your disability or upon your death.
Assignment of Personal Property
This is your "legal box". It holds your assets and contains instructions regarding the management and distribution of your assets upon your disability or upon your death.
Pour Over Will
This is a will that pours over assets into your trust that have not been titled in the name of your trust during your lifetime (a "catch all" for loose ends). It also revokes any old wills you may have executed in the past and designates your wishes for a final resting place.
Power of Attorney for Property
This document appoints the individuals you choose to handle your non-trust assets and financial affairs on your behalf, should you become unable to do so yourself.
Living Will
This is the "right to die" document. It states that if you are terminally ill, your health care agent may terminate artificial life support or death delaying procedures.
Living Will
This is the "right to die" document. It states that if you are terminally ill, your health care agent may terminate artificial life support or death delaying procedures.
HIPPA Release and Authorization
HIPAA release document allows healthcare providers to release health information and/or medical records to your health care representative.
Asset Transfers
Our office will handle the transfer of your assets into the name of the trust. This includes creating and recording new Deed for your property and moving bank / investment accounts.
