River Edge Probate And Estate Administration Lawyers Streamlining The Process

When a person doesn’t have any estate documents in place upon their death, the state gets to choose how best to distribute their assets according to the law. This complicated, painful, costly and frustrating process is known as probate. Even with a will in place, if the decedent’s assets were not previously put into a trust, the estate needs to go through probate before the heirs can access the assets. With hardly any exceptions to this procedure, probate and estate administration support from a lawyer can be a big help.

If you are worried about how your loved one’s assets will be distributed, discussing your concerns with a lawyer at Giro & Associates LLC can provide insight and peace of mind.

Probate Services We Provide

If you have been designated the executor or administrator of an estate or trust, you can reduce the emotional and financial burden of suffering through probate by working with Giro & Associates LLC. We understand how sensitive the issue of losing a loved one can be, and you can be assured that your needs will be dealt with compassion and empathy by our lawyers who handle probate and probate disputes.

Our goal is to make the process as stress-free and pain-free as possible while expediting the paperwork to make sure that beneficiaries and heirs obtain access to their inheritance as soon as possible.

We are qualified to represent clients in a variety of probate-related matters that include:

• Guardianship and conservatorship duties
• Trust litigation
• Asset ownership disputes
• Will contests
• Claims against fiduciaries
• Business and partnership
• Appeals of judgments and orders in probate court

Without the help of an experienced attorney, your probate process can take weeks, months or even years to resolve. Our goal is to resolve your case with as little time and complication as possible without sacrificing the quality of the results.

A Step-By-Step Guide To The New Jersey Probate Process

Probate can feel complex or overwhelming, but it is much easier if you know exactly what steps to take. The typical stages are as follows:

• Step one: Go to the county Surrogate Court and file appropriate documentation, such as a will, a death certificate and an application for probate.
• Step two: Appoint an estate administrator or an estate executor if one is not named in the estate plan.
• Step three: Notify heirs, beneficiaries and any creditors who may have a claim to the estate.
• Step four: Inventory the remaining assets, including real estate, financial assets and tangible assets.
• Step five: Pay any outstanding debt owed by the estate, including taxes.
• Step six: Distribute the remaining assets to the beneficiaries in accordance with the estate plan or, if there is no plan, state law.
• Step seven: Close the estate and end the probate process.

When navigating probate gets complicated, it can help to work with an experienced attorney.

Common Assets That Bypass Probate

When someone plans ahead, there are certain steps to take that can help assets skip probate. This may include:

• Jointly owned property with a right of survivorship, such as a family home
• Assets that have already been put into a living trust
• A Totten trust, also known as a payable-on-death account or a transfer-on-death account, which comes with a beneficiary designation
• Other assets with predetermined beneficiaries, such as some retirement accounts and life insurance policies

Other assets may still have to go through probate, and the process is required if there is not an estate plan, so everything has to be handled under state intestate laws.

The Role Of The Surrogate Court In Bergen County, New Jersey

The Bergen County Surrogate Court is located in Hackensack, New Jersey. This is where the probate process will start and where the aforementioned documentation needs to be filed. In order to officially start probate, the court needs evidence that the individual has actually passed away and then needs to determine if there is an estate plan that will be followed or if state law needs to guide the process.

The court can also help if there are any will contests or estate challenges, such as when two beneficiaries get into a dispute over things like multiple copies of an estate plan, allegations of undue influence and much more. Our River Edge offices are conveniently located less than four miles from Hackensack, so we can assist throughout the entire process.

Talk With Our Bergen County Probate And Estate Administration Attorneys Now

Our experienced lawyers review your case and use the most appropriate method to ensure fiduciary duties are fulfilled. Arrange your private consultation to share your situation with an attorney who cares. Call 201-771-9436 or complete our contact form to reach our River Edge office.