When someone dies without a Will, or even with a Will, the estate generally must go through a process called Probate.

Probate is a Judicial Proceeding where a Judge that doesn’t know You or Your Family has to determine what happens to Everything the Decedent Owned.

During the Probate process a judge does a number of things. One of the things they may do is establish the Will of the Testator.  In addition, the decedent’s heirs may need to be established for the purpose of distributing property. Probate can be time-consuming as well as resource consuming.

When someone dies without a proper estate plan, Probate is the process that the court will use in distributing the property, and figuring out who the property is to be distributed to. As you might imagine Probate may bring about results that were unintended by the decedent. The California Probate Code will determine the decedent’s heirs and distribute the property according to the California Probate Code. During this time, bills and taxes need to be paid, and things cannot be sold without the Judge’s approval.

A properly implemented estate plan can avoid all this.  However, things happen and sometimes people pass before a Living Trust centered Estate Plan is established.

Yes, there can be lots of Red Tape, but We are Here to Help.

The Probate process can be difficult for a lot of people.  Time-consuming and detailed.  After a loved one dies, there is so much to consider, and so much to do.  Pile on top of that family “issues” that seem to pop up and it can get overwhelming.

If you would like our help, CALL US and we will go to work for you.

Dan Powell