The Importance of Having a Guardianship Attorney on Your Side

In a perfect world, people would plan ahead to be able to handle their affairs and provide for their family if they become incapacitated. However, many people do not do that and some adults are forced into a situation where they need a guardian to help them. If you are facing this issue with a loved one, having an experienced Chicago Guardianship Attorney by your side is critical to ensure that all legal steps are taken.

Guardianship is an arrangement where the court appoints someone to manage a person’s property, personal needs, or both. The guardian can be a parent, relative, third party nonprofit group or an attorney. In some cases, a guardian can be appointed temporarily to accomplish a specific task, while in others, it is permanent.

If a person does not have a valid Power of Attorney, or their agent is unwilling to serve, the court may need to appoint a guardian for them. In order to do that, a petition for guardianship must be filed with the courts. The requesting party must also provide a medical report from a physician. The court will evaluate the requesting individual’s condition and will determine if a guardianship is necessary.

A family law attorney will help you prepare a petition for a temporary or permanent guardianship, and file it with the appropriate court. The presiding judge will review the case and will ask questions regarding the requesting individual’s condition. The presiding judge will appoint a guardian if they feel the guardianship is necessary.

It is important to note that a guardian is responsible for caring for the ward’s financial and emotional needs, which can be time consuming and emotionally draining. Therefore, the requesting party must be able to clearly demonstrate their willingness to take on this responsibility as honestly and fairly as possible. In most cases, the requesting party will need to answer some questions about their family, work schedule, and finances.

After the guardian has been named, annual reports will need to be submitted to the court detailing their administration of the ward’s estate. If the guardian is unable to fulfill their duties, the court may terminate their guardianship.

A guardianship is an effective legal solution for families that are concerned about their aging or disabled loved ones. If you are facing this issue, it is crucial to consult with an experienced Chicago Guardianship Attorney at your earliest convenience. To learn more about your options, contact Davis & Associates today. We can answer any questions that you may have and make recommendations that will best protect your family members.

Probate- Administration and Distribution of Estate in a Will

Probate of wills is the process of setting up the administration of estates in a will. It is a legal procedure that is usually handled by estate planners or probate attorneys. Probate of wills is generally the last document that an individual makes prior to the death of another individual, said a known probate attorney.

An estate consists of many different items including real property, cash, bank accounts, inheritances, and protected assets such as life insurance policies. The term ‘probate’ refers to the distribution of assets to beneficiaries according to the wishes of the decedent. The beneficiaries are usually those closest to the decedent who have been caring for the decedent. In most cases, there are a last will and testament which include the personal belongings of the deceased. There are various methods used to determine who gets what, including the probate of wills.

 

When there are no last will and testament, a person must appoint an administrator appointed by the state court. This administrator is responsible for distributing the decedent’s assets according to a distribution plan set forth in the probate order. In many states, this administrator can be another individual such as a lawyer, estate planner or probate lawyer. New York provides for its residents to appoint a living trust which is a separate legal entity from their estates.

 

Most people in the state of New York to appoint a personal representative such as a lawyer or an estate planner. New York also allows same-sex couples to designate one other person as their personal representative, if that person is available. Appointing an estate attorney presents some challenges to the decedent’s survivors. Because same-sex couples must file joint state tax returns and obtain a New York State Vital Estate Tax Identification Number, it may not always be possible to ensure the right person is selected for probate process. In these instances, the county court will provide the necessary instructions.

 

An appointed individual can choose to use either the name alone, or the name and designation of beneficiaries. Using the name alone will make it easier to liquidate the decedent’s estate because the state will recognize the individual’s social security number. The real estate custodian will issue the appropriate New York tax deed to the beneficiaries. Some common probate terminology is used to describe the assets and property transferred to the beneficiary(s).

 

If you want to avoid probate, you can appoint a qualified attorney who will prepare the proper will and trust documentation, said GeorgiaProbateAttorneys.Net. The probate attorney will help you with the forms and paperwork, so you can avoid probate. When you are in the process of creating your Will, see if you can have your attorney draft the actual words for your Will before you sign it. This ensures you will have the exact wording and meaning in your Will when you die. It is important to have a qualified probate attorney draft a Will so that your family’s assets will be cared for in accordance with the state law.

What Happens During the Probate Process?- Read to Learn

Probate of wills is a legal term referring to the official procedure for recording, settling and executing wills, said Miami’s finest probate lawyer. Wills records prepared by state officials for the testator who dies. In general, will procedures are applicable in all states that use the same testator rules. In addition, probate of wills often involves the involvement of representatives of the decedent’s heirs, including creditors and estate planners.

Probate of Wills

 

In general terms, wills are recorded in duplicate in the county where the testator resided prior to his death and recorded in the same county where the decedent died. However, the probate court in each jurisdiction has its own procedures for recording and executing the same. Some jurisdictions also allow for will exchanges in which one testator signs an instrument with another or states that the testator has fully paid his/her debts to others. It is necessary to record the testator’s name under the appropriate heading as part of the will. While the use of names other than the testator’s, especially in the case of initials or nicknames, is common in many probate jurisdictions, it is not necessary to use legal titles.

 

In legal terms, “testimony” refers to any oral statement, whether oral or written, concerning the testator’s affairs which may be used as evidence at any later stage in the probate of wills proceedings. Testimonials may be based on information learned from others, hearsay and even dreams. While a few states recognize a will as having been executed in state court if there is no probate action, the majority of states recognize a will as a legally binding document and require an oath of the parties to a testator’s act. Generally, a legal representative of the decedent’s estate presents the sworn statement at the testator’s expense to a probate court, whether or not the testator is present.

 

There are also some states that allow the testator or his estate to appoint an agent to control certain aspects of the estate during the administration of the will. Such an agent may have the responsibility for distributing the assets to beneficiaries and for the collection of monies owed to them. This aspect is important in limited liability situations because the testator may be personally liable for the actions of the agent or his estate. This is not the case in all jurisdictions however and is a question that must be considered on a case by case basis.

 

Estate planning is an essential component of estate tax planning and must be undertaken as a part of any estate plan. In order to successfully revokes a will, a testator must be in financial difficulty, there must be a substantial uncertainty about the future of the testator’s estate and the testator must be in compliance with applicable estate tax laws. Some jurisdictions refer to a will as a “power of attorney” and others to a “writing of trust.” The term will does not imply that the document itself is invalidated by the federal law, it simply provides for the existence of a prior written document that was not properly executed under the provisions of the law.

If you would like to learn more about Probate of Wills and how it affects the process of wills in the United States or other countries, please contact a qualified lawyer. An experienced estate law attorney can assist in completing your state required documentation and can assist you in discussing your particular probate needs. A qualified probate lawyer should be willing to meet with you and discuss the details of your situation and provide insight into probate matters. An experienced probate lawyer like one from miamiprobateattorneys.net should be available for an initial consultation and/or a free legal consultation.