Reasons To Hire A Probate Attorney

Losing someone close to you is always rough, but things can become even more difficult if there ends up being some kind of battle over the deceased's estate. If you find yourself in the position of trying to make sense of your loved one's estate after they are gone, you need to hire a probate attorney to help you through the process. Here are three situations where having an attorney on your side could prove quite useful.

Your Loved One Owned Their Own Business

Did the deceased own and operate their own business before they passed? If their business was quite successful, there are likely going to be questions about its ownership going forward. Hopefully, your loved one wrote a will before they passed. But even without one, a good probate attorney can take a look at the situation and help you and the estate figure out what the best course of action is. Your attorney can also provide assistance with protecting certain assets from the estate tax if necessary.

Family Members Are Not Getting Along

In a perfect world, all family members would be at your loved one's bedside when they pass peacefully and then everyone would agree to get along with each other with no issues or family drama to speak of. Unfortunately, that's not the way the real world works. If you know there are people within your family who don't get along, you should anticipate that someone might try to contest the will or terms of the estate planning. A probate attorney can essentially serve as a neutral referee who will use logic and common sense when making decisions instead of emotion. This can help prevent a family squabble from escalating while also ensuring that everyone gets their fair share.

Debt Collectors Come Calling

If your loved one had a lot of debt when they passed, there's a chance some of those creditors might try to take their fair share out of the estate. If this is the case, you should know that some debts can be discharged upon a person's debt but others might be more difficult to get rid of or could be passed along to the deceased's spouse. Hiring a probate attorney is the best way to ensure that you don't have to pay anything more than what you actually have to from the estate's funds. 

If you recently lost a loved one and expect an issue with the distribution of the estate, contact a probate attorney today.

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