5 Things to do prior to Meeting with Your Probate Attorney

A death certificate is a legal document. It provides the date of their death plus other essential information like their birth date, cause of death, and where they resided. This document serves a variety of purposes and is necessary to the probate processes. You’ll need a number of copies. The court will of course require a copy as will insurance companies and various accounts especially financial accounts. You’ll need an official copy to start the probating process. Bring at least one of the certified copies of the Death Certificate with you when you meet with the Queens Probate lawyer the first time.

The decedent should have some documents. It can vary depending on how they did their end-of-life planning. If they have a will, or if they have a living trust, the probate attorney in Queens will need copies. Once you locate these documents the lawyer can help you determine if you need to start the process of probating the estate or not. If your loved one has a living trust, probate might not be necessary. But if it turns out that it is needful, the lawyer will need the documents during the filing processes.

Start by gathering up all the other important documents for the decedent. The types of items you’ll need to collect include life insurance policy, investment accounts, retirement documents, and bank account information. The Queens Probate lawyer will need to review all of these types of documents. This helps them determine the nature of the case and which decisions will need to be made on behalf of the estate and the heirs.

The decedent is likely to have both assets and debts. You’ll need to collect information on both of these. If you have access, present things to the lawyer like their life insurance policies, bank account statements, their latest tax returns, pension or retirement account. You’ll also need to bring any mortgages and/or property deeds with you to the Queens Probate lawyer. In addition, gather a detailed list of their debts, regular monthly bills, tax liabilities and any other financial obligations you know they had. This helps the Queens Probate lawyer understand the circumstances more fully. They will be able to give you the best advice the more information they are armed with.

If you can identify all the heirs, bring a written list that contains the name, address, phone number, and relationship to the decedent for all their children and relatives surviving them. Once the executor is appointed by the courts, they will all need to be notified. There is also a petition that will be filed in which the heirs and beneficiaries have to be listed. The Queens probate lawyer will help you with all of this and help you keep it all in order for the court proceedings.

Meeting with a probate attorney in Queens for the first time is stressful. And that’s on top of grieving your losses. But if you can get all these items in order prior to your first meeting, it can make it all go a lot faster and be more successful. It also gives you a huge jump on the things the probate court is going to require. Having a knowledgeable and experienced attorney on your side will help the process be less complicated to you.

If you have a family member who just passed away, or if you have more questions about the whole probating processes, contact a Queens’s probate lawyer at our office. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and help you walk through the probating processes.