HELPING FAMILIES THROUGH ESTATE PLANNING AND PROBATE FOR 48 YEARS
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BOOK FREE APPOINTMENT TODAYPROBATE LAWYERS IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA
At The Werner Law Firm, our probate lawyers in Newport Beach work diligently with our clients to minimize the time and hassle associated with the California probate process.
The formal administration of a loved one’s estate (a probate case) can be a long, confusing, and stressful process. Our goal is to change that. While we cannot change the law or the probate requirements, we can take great efforts to help you understand the process, and make things easier for you and our clients.
With experience providing legal guidance to individuals and families in California for over four decades, we are here to help. If you are dealing with a probate case, the experience of a probate lawyer may be crucial.
23 Corporate Plaza Drive Suite 150
Newport Beach, CA 92660
949-514-6088
REGARDING PROBATE
Probate is sometimes required after a person has passed away in order to identify, categorize, evaluate, and effectively distribute their estate after debts and taxes. The California probate process is cumbersome, and may be required of whether or not the decedent had a will. To begin the process, a relative or someone close to the decedent usually petitions for probate in the county in which the decedent was living. This is usually done because there is an asset in the decedent’s name that cannot be addressed otherwise. Upon starting the probate process, the courts will decide who oversees the execution of the estate. This position typically goes to the decedent’s spouse, other family member, or someone the decedent specified within their will. If no executors are named, and no surviving relative of the decedent is up to the task, a third party may be chosen. From there, the probate process continues step-by-step.
All told, the probate process can take anywhere from under a year to over a year and a half. Much of that is spent waiting for first available court dates. The larger and more complex the estate, the more expensive and complicated it can be to go through the case.
At The Werner Law Firm, our Newport Beach probate lawyers have decades of experience in handling probate matters.
TRUSTED PROBATE LAWYERS IN NEWPORT BEACH, CA
The complexity of the probate process varies depending on the complexity of the estate. Size is one factor, but there are many other factors that can impact what needs to be done in a probate case. Not all estates are the same, and some assets are much harder to deal with through probate than others. Some examples of particularly complex assets include highly volatile or intangible assets, such as mineral or oil deposits, racehorses or race hounds, and patents. It can be complicated to appraise the value of such assets. Additionally, disputes between beneficiaries or heirs can overly complicate the probate process to an extreme degree, prolonging probate for months and years with legal challenges, followed by drawn-out and expensive battles.
Having an experience probate lawyer can help to identify and plan how best to address these matters. At The Werner Law Firm, our team of probate lawyers in Newport Beach have helped families navigate potential delays in the probate process, minimizing time spent in the courts, and generally have helped make the process a straightforward one for our clients.