Probate Administration
The term probate is used to describe the legal process of managing and resolving a deceased individual’s last wishes pertaining to transferring assets, paying debts, and, at times, exercising rights or obligations pursuant to the law. A probate petition is commonly filed by one or more of the designated personal representatives in a decedent’s Will (The term personal representative is commonly known as an executor in other states). There are also times when a person dies intestate, or without a valid enforceable Will, and a petition to open a probate estate is filed by one or more of the beneficiaries. While the probate process is usually conducted in a handful of scenarios, the family and personal relationships of a decedent are frequently getting more complex and unique requiring a skilled and trained lawyer to maneuver through the hurdles of handling the administration of a probate estate.