Assisting Families Through Estate Administration
Assisting Families Through Estate Administration
The demands of settling the final affairs of a loved one are complex and can be daunting during your time of grief. The probate administration lawyers of Kershaw, Vivitoe & Jedinak, PLC understand how hard it is to face the estate administration process.
We take all of the legal burdens of probate and estate administration off the shoulders of grieving family members to allow our clients to focus on moving forward as a family. Because we are thorough, you can rest assured that your loved one’s estate will be handled with care. However, we also understand that will contests or other disputes can arise during this difficult time. Our trial attorneys are here to represent individuals, personal representatives and executors when probate litigation arises.
What Is Trust Administration?
Trust administration is the process of gathering trust assets, accounting for the assets and distributing the trust property according to the terms of the trust agreement.
The trustee is responsible for the following:
- Preparing an inventory of the assets
- Analyzing transfer of property documents
- Arranging property appraisals
- Obtaining death certificates
- Applying for a federal tax ID number
- Filing federal and fiduciary tax returns
- Providing notice of administration
- Publishing notice to creditors
- Maintaining insurance on the assets
What Is The Probate Process?
Probate is the process in which creditors are paid, taxes are filed and expenses are paid prior to the distribution of assets and cash. The process can be lengthy and is often complex. The processes will vary depending on the size of the estate, what the estate plan entails and if there are any objections.
The steps of the process typically include:
- Filing a petition with probate court
- Sending notice to heirs and the public
- Petition to appoint an executor or administrator
- Inventory and appraisal of the estate
- Payment of debts to creditors
- Sale of assets
- Filing and payment of taxes
- Distribution of assets to beneficiaries
If there are any contests or objections, our probate lawyers will litigate in order to effectively and efficiently solve disputes.
Turn To Our Caring Estate And Probate Lawyers
If you are facing the difficult task of finding an estate planning and administration attorney, contact us online or call 734-636-0960. Our experienced attorneys will assist you with probate and trust administration processes. Located in Monroe, we assist clients throughout southeastern Michigan.
