Dickson City Probate Lawyer

A common saying in America is all you have to do in life is die and pay taxes. Unfortunately, these two items seem to cause more problems than they ultimately solve. The current system makes it almost impossible to go through normal proceedings without legal counsel. This is an extremely hard time for you and your family and you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one. This is why you need a Dickson City probate lawyer to get everything straightened out for you.

What Is The Probate Process?

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

Probate itself can be quite complicated with regards to just managing the estate. There is time to be taken out to handle these crucial items, laws & procedures you’ll need to understand. In addition, you’re dealing with the death of someone close to you, so you need time to grieve. 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 Dickson City.

What A Probate Lawyer In Dickson City Does For You

Any time there are legal proceedings involving many assets, it can be confusing and frustrating to understand. Also, the deceased may not have determined the last will and/or testament. So, in these cases a probate lawyer in Dickson City 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, if the deceased did not leave clear or any instructions on how their last wishes are to be carried out, 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.

A lawyer can make some arguments to try and provide evidence that the benefits should have been given out a different way. The best solution, if manageable, is to have a last will & testament drafted as soon as possible which would avoid going through these proceedings.

 

Administering The Estate

In the period after death, the administrator of the estate starts working. Most assets are legally required to go through probate unless they meet important specifications. 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 Dickson City probate lawyer at the Law Offices of Caputo & Mariotti.

 

Going Through With The Proceedings

Now that the probate process has begun, 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. If they do not exceed $50k, you’ll go through Simplified Probate.

According to Zillow, the average home price in Lackawanna County is valued at $138,462 as of 2020. As a result, if you own a home in Dickson City 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 about $35,250. So, when you consider all other possessions, it doesn’t become difficult to reach that number.

Choose A Probate Lawyer In Dickson City PA From The Law Offices Of Caputo & Mariotti

Death is unfortunately a complex thing we all need to deal with at one point in our lives and the law doesn’t offer alleviation of stress since it only complicates things further. To help you get through these difficult times, you should schedule a free consultation with a probate lawyer in Dickson City 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.