Probate

Probate is the legal process of settling the assets and debts of the estate of a person who has passed away. Probate matters are held in Probate Courts.

The official probating process at death is time-consuming (months!) and very expensive. You should avoid it, if at all possible. There are many deadlines, publications, and other various notices that must be handled. 

There are other options we can use to settle an estate that avoids the formal official probating process in the courts. This is cheaper and faster, if it works in your situation. Call today to discuss your options.

Estate Planning

If you are concerned about YOUR estate at your death – please read about our Estate Planning services to help your children or other heirs avoid probate when you die.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. While not a pleasant topic, no one lives forever, and planning for your family is the best gift you can give them during what will always be a difficult, grief-stricken process.  

Navigating Through Probate

If you are an heir or interested family member, needing help resolving a deceased person’s estate, please call us today. Lion Legal is experienced in all probate matters, and if necessary, we will navigate you through the legal jungle of the Probate Courts effectively. If possible, we will avoid probate to conserve estate resources for the heirs, and avoid or reduce court costs and attorney’s fees. If everyone is in agreement, that will increase our chances of avoiding probate.

Probate laws require that any estate be probated within five years of the death of the person. There are other options if you have real estate or other issues related to the death of someone more than five years ago, and we can help with that too.

Guardianships, Adoptions and Probate

Technically, guardianships and adoptions are also “probate matters.” This does not make any sense really, and lawyers often refer to them as family or domestic matters. It’s an important distinction, but check out our Family and Domestic Law pages for information regarding our adoption and guardianship services.

How much do probate matters cost?

A common estimated retainer range for cases in our Probate, Family, Civil, and Real Estate/Business Divisions is $3,000-$5,000. To read more about our billing process, check out our Billing Philosophies page.