Being asked to serve as the executor of someone’s estate can be both overwhelming and outright exhausting. Sometimes, it makes sense to hire a probate attorney to help.
Here are the four most common reasons that people hire a probate attorney to handle an estate:
1. They live out of state.
Florida has a lot of retirees. When those retirees die, they may leave behind homes, vacation property and more that has to be handled — and nobody living in the state to do it.
2. There are complex assets involved.
Some estates are too complicated to easily divide. For example, imagine that your parent owns a business. When he passes away, you and your siblings each inherit equal shares of the business. However, only one of you wishes to continue operating it. Working out how the business is to be valued and the shares sold can be difficult if you don’t have the necessary experience.
3. There’s a problem with the will.
Sometimes a will isn’t clearly written or there are questions about its legitimacy. Maybe a dissatisfied heir is unhappy with their share, and you’re afraid that litigation is looming. When that happens, the entire probate process can quickly become complicated.
4. There’s some other legal issue involving the estate.
Sometimes a creditor will emerge — seemingly out of nowhere — and lay a claim against the estate. Sometimes an unexpected heir surfaces and presses a claim. At that point, you need someone to look out for the estate’s interests.
A probate attorney can help you make sure that the deceased’s wishes are honored and that your stress is kept to a minimum throughout the probate process. Please explore our site further for additional information.