In this YouTube video, RMO Lawyers talks about the role a probate lawyer plays when a person passes away. Probate lawyers help families navigate tax and inheritance law before, during, and after a wealth transfer.
It’s a myth that the nearest surviving relative of a person automatically receives all the belongings of someone who has passed away. Each state dictates laws that outline how a person’s assets and wealth must be handled after death.
A probate lawyer ensures the matter is dealt with according to the law in these scenarios.
A person can leave a document called a Last Will and Testament. This document outlines a person’s wishes for their assets and desires for those left behind. The probate lawyer helps a person draw up this document, accounting for future unintended consequences that can happen after death. These documents are more accurate and help a family deal with less friction afterward.
Probate lawyers also help an executor or an estate administrator handle day-to-day decisions or interpret clauses in the legal documents presented by creditors or collectors. They help beneficiaries understand the wishes of the deceased and the rationale behind decisions previously made. A probate lawyer also guards the family against outgoing cash flow from an estate that should not happen.