Probate and Estate Administration

PROBATE and ESTATE ADMINISTRATION

Probate is the process by which a deceased person’s Last Will and Testament is proven to be valid and accepted by the Surrogate’s Court. The probate estate includes all property held in the sole name of the decedent which passes under the decedent’s Last Will and Testament. Certain kinds of property, such as property owned jointly by the deceased and another person, life insurance, and property held in trust, are not part of the probate estate and are not subject to the probate process. The entire probate and estate administration process can take a year or more to complete, depending on the nature and extent of estate assets. Once a decedent’s Will is admitted to probate, executors and trustees are appointed by the Court, and administration of the estate begins. The goal of probate and estate administration is the proper management of the decedent’s estate assets until those assets are distributed to the decedent’s beneficiaries. The attached probate questionnaire elicits all information needed to assist the executor in administering an estate. Bring the completed questionnaire to the initial interview.

The probate questionnaire is annexed here – Confidential Client Questionnaire for Probate and Estate Administration