Probate & Estate Administration

The loss of a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences you will ever have. Having a slew of legal issues is the very last thing you need during this trying moment. Rhodes Law assists clients with all aspects of estate administration and guides them through the probate process providing professional representation so you can make educated decisions regarding your loved one’s estate, whether you require help drafting a will or managing a trust.

Probate is the legal procedure that determines how a person’s assets and debts will be divided after death. If a personal representative or inexperienced executor attempts to handle the process without the help of an experienced probate attorney, it may be complicated, perplexing, and unpleasant.

Understanding Probate

With the help of the probate court, this is achieved. If the decedent has a legal will or trust, such documents will express the decedent’s wishes, including how the estate should be administered.

A decedent’s will or trust documents may indicate a preference for a family member, friend, or trusted advisor to administer and carry out the decedent’s intentions. The executor or executrix is the personal representative of the estate and is known as the executor or executrix. Many persons take the job of executor or executrix of a will or trustee of a trust without comprehending the probate process’ potential complications. As a result, families frequently opt to engage with a reputable law firm like Rhodes Law rather than go through the lengthy probate procedure alone.

Probate And Estate Administration In Santa Rosa, California

Our estate planning and administration attorney can help you choose a personal representative, agent, or trustee to handle your affairs. In many situations, we can fill this position for you in the following areas:

  • Durable Power of Attorney: It can let you designate a trusted person (such as a spouse, another family member, or even an acquaintance) to handle your finances if you become incapacitated and unable to manage your affairs.
  • For Wills and Trusts: We can prepare documents to your specifications and carry them out following the law and your preferences.
  • Conservatorships: As part of a conservatorship, we can manage the finances of a child or impaired loved one.
  • The distribution of property: We can oversee the distribution of your assets following your will, trust, or other legal documents.
  • Guardianships: We work hard to ensure that your desires for the financial and medical requirements of a minor child who is incapable are followed.
  • Health Care Directives: We can help you create this form to express your health wishes and select an agent to handle such matters.

It’s important to think about estate taxes. We can appropriately handle an estate’s tax problems until the estate’s affairs are completed.

Representation In Court Proceedings

In preparation for or during a probate action, we can advise you on estate probate concerns. While our services are meant to keep your estate out of probate court, unexpected events might sometimes arise, such as a relative contesting your will.

We can represent your estate in court to safeguard your desires in these situations and can also represent you in probate court proceedings.

Contact Our Probate And Estate Administration Attorney

Many persons who are tasked with administering the affairs of a decedent’s estate find the process to be daunting.

Please contact us for more information about reviewing a probate issue or starting the probate procedure in the state of California, particularly in Santa Rosa.