When a person dies without a trust, their estate is typically probated. There are two types of probate: informal and formal probate. In formal probate, the attorney appears before the court and has the will admitted to probate along with appointment of the personal representative to administer the estate. For informal probate, the attorney does not have to appear in court to probate the will and appoint a personal representative, thereby resulting in a more cost-effective option for most people.
Many times, the personal representative of an estate or trust will attempt to administer the estate of a decedent on her own. Although this is a cost-effective option for some, this task may be daunting due to the accounting and closing out of assets that varies depending upon the size of the estate. It can be helpful to hire an experienced attorney in trust and estate administration to assist in these tasks.
About Estate Planning?
Estate planning is the planning of your will and assets in the event that an estate is disposed of. By creating a will and/or trust with the help of an attorney, one can be sure that their assets will go exactly where they want them to go. The lack of a will or trust can lead to confusion, controversy, and even uncertainty with what to do with ones assets in the event that a death does take place.
