San Diego Estate Planning Lawyer Blog
According to a survey by Martindale-Hubbell at lawyers.com, more than half of the people in America do not have a will or a trust. If you do not prepare a will before you die, your estate will have to go through probate. In fact, if you do prepare a will rather than a trust, your estate will have to go through probate.
Probate in San Diego is the legal process of administering a decedent’s estate so that legal title to property can be transferred from the decedent’s estate to his or her beneficiaries. If the decedent has died in San Diego, the estate will be probated in the San Diego courts. In San Diego County, a petition for probate can be filed in the downtown San Diego Probate Court or the North County Probate Court located in Vista.
For most people, becoming an executor of an estate with a will, or becoming an administrator of an estate without a will, is something that requires the assistance of a lawyer. Sometimes people think they can handle a probate without legal counsel, get involved in the process, and then decide that they are in over their head and need legal assistance. Many clients find the process time consuming and confusing. There are many nuances to filing the correct documents with the Probate Court in a timely fashion. If property is owned out of California such as a timeshare, second home, etc., ancillary probate proceedings have to be set up in those states, which complicates the settling of the estate. Sometimes court appearances have to be made which makes some lay people uncomfortable.
The experienced estate planning lawyers at Law Office of Scott C. Soady, A Professional Corporation help many people through the probate process. It doesn’t matter which lawyer you choose to assist you, the statutory fees are the same, however, what we offer is years of expertise in helping clients through the process; no charge for copies, postage, parking, or mileage; convenient location off the Interstate 15, and helpful friendly support staff that will always return your calls, keep you informed of the status of your case, and answer your questions. Give us a call to set up your complimentary consultation about your probate matter. We also handle will contests, preparation of wills & trusts, and litigation.