Estate Administration
What do I need to do if a loved one passes away?
We help Executors (or Administrators) and families wrap up the affairs of a loved one from beginning to end after she or he passes away.
When a loved one passes away with or without a will, the decedent’s assets and obligations must be properly and legally resolved. Whether the individual dies with a will (“testate”) or without a will (“intestate”), we help the Executor or Administrator open the estate and perform his or her various duties to properly administer the estate from beginning to end. We make sure that all legal matters are properly performed to protect the estate beneficiaries and anyone with an interest in the estate, but we also want to assure that our Executor or Administrator is protected from unknowingly making any inadvertent mistakes. Specific matters that we assist with are:
*Probate
*Proper administration and processing of non-probate assets, such as life insurance, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401Ks and other retirement accounts
*Assisting with valuation, sales and proper disposition of estate and real estate and personal property
*Successful resolution and settlement of debts and liabilities
*Preparation of all “death tax returns,” such as inheritance tax returns and federal estate returns
*Minimizing taxes for estates, trusts and its beneficiaries
*Advising on estate income tax matters raising from an Estate
*Preparing formal and informal accountings and properly closing the Estate
*Post mortem planning
