Tips To Help You Speed Up The Probate Process
Probate is the process of administering and transferring a decedent’s estate. The person responsible for administering and transferring a decedent’s estate is usually named in the decedent’s Will. If you have been named in your deceased loved one’s Will as the person to administer and transfer their estate, you may be worried about the probate process taking too long. Indeed, probate can be a time-consuming process. However, this is not always true. There are ways for you as the executor to speed up the probate process. If you are the executor of a deceased loved one’s estate, the following are some tips to help you speed up the probate process.
Tip #1: Understand Your Duties as an Executor
As the executor of your deceased loved one’s estate, you can speed up the probate process right from the pre-probate administration stage. One way to do this is by understanding your duties as an executor early. The earlier you understand your responsibilities, the earlier you can decide how you wish to undertake the administration of the decedent’s estate.
An executor’s duties include;
- Collecting the deceased’s assets
- Identifying beneficiaries
- Valuing assets
- Safeguarding assets
- Paying debts
- Distributing estate assets to beneficiaries.
Tip #2: Collect as Many Details as Possible About the Estate in Advance
Another way to speed up the probate process right from the pre-probate administration stage is by collecting as many details as possible about your deceased loved one’s estate in advance. For example, while you are waiting to decide how you wish to proceed with the probate process, list all potential assets that your deceased loved one might have left behind. Also, list all the potential debts and liabilities they might have left behind. If you do this, you will have a head start once you decide how you want to proceed with the probate process. Also, gathering as many details as possible about your deceased loved one’s estate in advance can help prevent unnecessary pauses from arising because of missing or incorrect information once the probate process begins.
Tip #3: Hire a Probate Attorney
You are not legally required to hire a probate attorney. You can handle the probate process alone without legal help. But, having a probate attorney by your side can help speed up the probate process. Probate attorneys are used to dealing with probate cases, so they understand how to get through the process faster. A probate attorney can help you handle all your duties, including collecting assets, identifying beneficiaries, valuing assets, and paying debts and liabilities.
Tip #4: Open Probate Quickly
The first step in initiating the probate process is filing a petition with the court. The longer you wait to file this petition, the longer it might take to get through the probate process. If you want to speed up the probate process, you should initiate the probate process as quickly as possible. However, don’t rush it.
Tip #5: Provide Proper Notices
As the executor, you are required to provide interested parties, such as beneficiaries, with appropriate notices of the probate action. If you do not give an interested party the proper notice, it can delay the probate process.
Contact The Probate Guy for Help
Are you the executor of a deceased loved one’s estate? Are you looking for a probate attorney to help reduce the stress of dealing with the probate process and speed up the process? Contact the dedicated California probate attorney, Robert L. Cohen – The Probate Guy – today to schedule a telephonic consultation.
Source:
courts.ca.gov/8865.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en
