It’s a difficult, painful time when a loved one passes away. However, with the support of your friends and family, you’ll make it through. The grieving process really puts things into perspective, and you’ll always cherish the memories of your loved one. It can take time to restore a level of normality in your life. However, time is a great healer, and the person you cared about wouldn’t want you to live in misery.
Though it might seem immaterial at the time, there is the matter of probate. A legal professional can help you through the process, but finding someone who’s suitable is challenging. To help you find someone who is ideal for your situation, here are some useful tips to consider when choosing a probate lawyer:
Are You The Executor In The Will?
If you’re the executor of the will, there are various points to consider when instructing a probate solicitor. First, you must decide whether you want to act as executor of the estate, unless your loved one discussed this possibility before their passing. Without a probate solicitor, there are complex legal responsibilities that are mandatory. If you fail to meet these properly, you’ll be financially responsible for mistakes, and end up out of your depth.
Do You Need to Get Probate?
In certain situations, you might not even need probate at all. If the estate you’re dealing with doesn’t have any value, land, shares, or investment, probate isn’t necessary. This applies to all estates worth less than a specified amount, which is set by the bank that held funds or investments for the deceased. Each institution has their own set of rules to determine whether they require probate, which fluctuates from one to the next. This means you’ll need to delve deeper to assess whether probate is required.
Do You Need a Probate Solicitor?
Probate solicitors can save you thousands in fees. Conducting a Google search is a great starting point for finding the right one. You can start by typing in “probate lawyer” and your geographic location, which helps narrow down the results. For example, if you live in South Carolina, you’d type in probate lawyer in South Carolina to bring up a list of prospective professionals. It’s important to pick one using experience, proficiency, and previous success as gauges, for peace of mind to help you through the proceedings. Probate is complicated and time consuming and, without a probate solicitor, you can expect to invest between 70 and 100 hours of dedicated time.
How Much Will Probate Cost?
This depends on the complexity of matters, as well as the value of the estate in question. Probate is more complex on an estate with high value investments, and a quote will usually take into account the value of the estate. You’ll pay somewhere in the region of $150 – $250 per hour for an excellent probate lawyer. Or, if suitable, you can pay a flat fee, between $1,000 – $2,000. In truth, you get what you pay for, but there are always exceptional professionals on hand to help you through a difficult process.
