While an estate planning lawyer is there to help you get your “house” in order before something unfortunate happens, sometimes people don’t think that far ahead. Other times, as Forbes explains, people keep putting it off hiring a lawyer because the estate planning questions makes them squirm.
So, where does that leave your family and estate if you pass away? That’s actually where a probate lawyer in Northbrook enters the picture.
What Probate Lawyers Do
Many people are unfamiliar with probate attorneys and the work they do. This is quite unfortunate because they really do play a big role in society.
First of all, according to Forbes, you must understand there are many myths surrounding estate planning. Two of the biggest myths involve probate attorneys:
- While you may think that when you pass away without a will, the state will automatically get your assets, this isn’t the case. What happens is they’ll apply the “laws of intestacy,” which varies between states. If you don’t want this to happen, you need a will.
- You may also think that if you have a will you won’t have to worry about probate, but a will only serves as guidance. It doesn’t mean your family won’t necessarily avoid probate all together. Your will is a public document that others can contest, which then means it goes to probate.
In either of these cases, you’ll need a lawyer to take one of the filing actions on your family’s behalf:
- File a lawsuit
- Fill out various documents, such as Power of Attorney
- Handle “adversarial” or “contested” wills by advocating in each party’s interests
These things are challenging, which is why you need a good attorney on your side, especially if you have a blended family, USA Today says. Not only are there more people involved here, but various relationships, too, some of which have probably grown strained over the years.
Conclusion
There really is a lot involved with planning after you’ve passed on. Many of these things you probably wouldn’t even think about now, but you really should do so. After all, you want to save your family from even more grief and heartache after you’re gone. However, if there ever does come a time when they need a probate lawyer in Northbrook, rest assured they are very skilled in what they do and thus will work in the best interests of all involved.
While nobody wants to see their estate go to probate court, it does happen. If that’s the case, contact us at Orlowsky & Wilson.
