Hazleton Probate Lawyer

As you can see, death and taxes are among the two things that everyone is certain to experience in life. As a result, these items seem to cause more problems than they ultimately solve. Above all, the current system makes it so difficult to go through normal proceedings without legal counsel that it makes it impossible for you to cope with your loss. So, this is the main reason why you should consult a Hazleton probate lawyer to get everything straightened out.

About the Probate Process

The probate process gets set in motion when the last will & testament of the deceased is reviewed for accuracy & acted upon. First, a probate lawyer in Hazleton will gather up the assets of the deceased so they may go through the process. Secondly, any debts get paid off that the decease may owe. Finally, the assets are spread about as per their requests.

As you can see, probate itself can get quite complex with regards to just managing the estate. There is time to be taken out to handle these crucial items, laws & procedures you need to understand. In addition, you’re dealing with the death of someone so you need to grieve properly. Managing the estate may take your mind off of it momentarily, but you’re not processing your emotions in the short term and adding a lot of stress on your shoulders. So, it’s generally recommended that you involve a probate lawyer in Hazleton.

What a Probate Lawyer in Hazleton Does

Certainly, any time there are legal proceedings involving many assets, it can get confusing in general. In addition, the deceased may not have determined the last will and/or testament. So, in these cases a probate lawyer in Hazleton PA will need to follow the standard probate procedures in addition to some other items including but not limited to:

Advocating for the Correct Disbursement of Benefits

For instance, the deceased may not have left clear or any instructions on how their last wishes are to be carried out. As a result, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will place the assets in their estate subject to their laws of intestate succession. These predetermined laws act as the “end all be all” of how the estate is parsed out.

Now, a lawyer can make some arguments to try and provide evidence that the benefits should have been given out a different way. However, the simple solution if manageable is to have a last will & testament drafted as soon as possible. As a result, you avoid going through these proceedings.

Administering The Estate

In the period after death, the administrator of the estate starts working. Generally, most assets are legally required to go through probate unless they meet important requirements. So, if the asset is held jointly, placed in a trust, and/or a beneficiary is named, it’s not subject to the probate process.

If you would like to understand more about your assets, feel free to schedule a free consultation with a Hazleton probate lawyer at the Law Offices of Caputo & Mariotti.

Going Through With The Proceedings

So, now that we have kicked off the probate process, it is important to understand more about the procedure. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there is Simplified & Formal Probate. The main difference between the two is that if the assets held by the estate exceed $50,000, you’ll need to go through Formal Probate. For instance, if they do not exceed that amount, you’ll go through Simplified Probate.

In addition, according to Zillow, the average home price in Hazleton is valued at $114,187 as of 2020. As a result, if you own a home in Hazleton alone, you’ll need to go through the formal probate process. Also, if you perhaps don’t own a home but have a brand new car, the average price of that is $35,250. So, when you consider all of the other possessions you may have, it doesn’t become difficult to reach that number.

Choose a Probate Lawyer in Hazleton PA from the Law Offices of Caputo & Mariotti

Above all, death is a complex thing we all need to deal with at one point or another. Unfortunately, the law doesn’t offer alleviation of stress since it only complicates things further. So, to help you get through these tough times, you should schedule a free consultation with a probate lawyer in Hazleton from Caputo & Mariotti. Our team has helped many people manage their estate, serve as the administrator, & get them through the probate process protecting their interests.