When a loved one passes away, family members are often left wondering, “what do we do now?” We can help.
One of the first questions is frequently, “Do we need to probate the will?”. Which is usually followed with, “What is probate?”
Probating a will is the legal process of a Court determining that a person died, that they left a valid Last Will and Testament, and that the Will shown to the Court in the case is in fact the last Will the deceased person executed.
Estate administration is the process of inventorying and collecting all of the deceased person’s assets, determining all their outstanding debts and obligations, getting them paid, and then distributing the remaining assets to the persons entitled to receive them under a Will, or by operation of law if there is no will.
Compared to other places in the country, the probate and administration processes in both Texas and Arkansas are generally straight forward, and are not something to be anxious about. In some places, it can be very costly and can take months or years to accomplish. Fortunately for us, unless there is a dispute in the family, these processes in Texas and Arkansas are generally short and relatively easy.
Probate and/or Administration can be accomplished in a number of different ways in each state, and we can help identify the best option for your loved one’s estate.