A probate lawyer can help you settle a deceased person’s estate. This includes identifying, valuing, and distributing assets. It can also involve paying debts and taxes. It can even include handling contested matters, such as will contests and challenges to heir rights.
Probate lawyers in Atlanta can help your family during a difficult time. However, you need to consider several factors before hiring one.
Experience
The death of a loved one is always stressful, especially when you have to deal with the estate. A probate lawyer can help you to sort out the assets of your deceased relative or friend and distribute them to family members and friends. They can also assist with any debts that must be paid and the administration of intestate or testate estates.
If the deceased did not leave behind a will, the right attorney can ensure that all heirs are fairly treated according to Georgia’s intestacy laws. This process can be lengthy and costly, but a lawyer with the right experience can help you avoid these pitfalls.
Look for a Georgia probate lawyer who stays busy. This is a good sign that they are successful and in demand. You should also assess their staff’s level of experience. A firm that hires well-trained and experienced staff can pass this knowledge on to their clients. You should be able to determine this by the way the lawyers’ and staff’s respective offices are run.
Fees
When it comes to estate planning, there are many different things that you need to consider. A good estate lawyer will help you set up your estate in a way that maximizes benefits for you and your family. They can also help you navigate the probate process after a loved one’s death.
Probate is a process that involves verifying the validity of a deceased person’s will and ensuring that all assets are distributed to their rightful beneficiaries. It is important to hire an Atlanta probate attorney who has experience handling complex and contested cases.
A good probate lawyer will charge you an hourly rate. This is usually based on their firm size, location, and level of experience. Some attorneys may also charge a flat fee for more straightforward probate cases. This can be helpful for both parties because it eliminates the need to keep track of billable hours. It also allows lawyers to give a more accurate estimate of how long the case will take.
Reputation
The probate process grants authority to a family member to gather the deceased’s assets, pay any owed debts and taxes, and distribute what’s left in accordance with the will. This is a formal court-supervised process that can take six months to a year, or longer, in complicated cases.
Regardless of what kind of estate plans a person makes, some of his or her assets will require probate in Georgia. An experienced Atlanta probate lawyer can help heirs, personal representatives and beneficiaries understand the state laws that apply to their situation.
The best Atlanta estate lawyers will be honest and upfront with clients. They will also return phone calls and keep their word. They will be clear and accountable and will listen to their clients’ goals and work creatively to help them achieve those goals. They should be in good standing with their bar associations and have a clean record. They should also have experience handling contested and uncontested probate matters.
Communication
A full-service Probate Lawyer can help you through all aspects of estate administration. They can collect and value estate assets, file final tax returns, pay debts, and distribute the remaining assets to beneficiaries. They can also help you avoid the probate process altogether by establishing living trusts.
A good Georgia probate attorney will stay busy, and while that might seem discouraging at first, it is a positive sign. This means that he or she is in demand and is successful at what they do. You can also find out if the lawyer is active by searching their name and law firm on search engines.
In addition to the above factors, you should try to find a Georgia probate lawyer who relates well to you and makes you feel comfortable. This will make you feel more at ease during the case, and it will also be easier for him or her to communicate with you. In addition, look for lawyers who charge a fee for consultations, rather than those who provide them free of charge.
