Congratulations! You’ve found a probate lawyer to handle your probate case, or perhaps to give you some advice as you wrap up the final affairs of a loved one who passed away. But what happens next?

Sure, you know you want a lawyer for a divorce, a real property purchase, or to resolve a deceased person’s last will and testament, but what kind of experience can you expect from a probate lawyer?

2 Ways a Probate Lawyer Can Help You

  • Traditional Full Representation – The traditional method of dealing with a probate is to get a local lawyer who specializes in the probate process. Hiring a lawyer, however, doesn’t mean you’re free to just sit back and relax. You still need to gather and protect assets, pay off bills, and maintain an inventory among many others. Still, it helps to have an expert handling important court-related tasks such as consolidating all necessary paperwork for your case.
  • Coaching And Advice Through The Probate Process – If you have the time to take on the majority of all work in your probate, a lawyer can still help you by providing limited legal assistance. You can hire a lawyer for those times when you need technical help, especially when it comes to specific questions about the probate process.

Contrary to popular belief, most probate cases involve boring paperwork instead of heated squabbles over a real estate property. If the court you’re dealing with provides probate forms for you to fill up, you won’t really need a lawyer—though having one is still convenient of course.

3 Ways To Have A Smooth Working Experience With A Probate Lawyer

Regardless of how you’re working with your probate lawyer, there are several ways to make the experience better and productive for everyone.

  1. Provide Your Lawyer With All The Necessary Information

Make sure you give your lawyer all pertinent documents in your probate case, such as deeds, tax returns, inventories, and insurance policies among others. Getting your paperwork in order can dramatically improve the speed of resolving your case.

  1. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions

If you’re unsure about a certain detail in your case, don’t be afraid to ask for clarifications from your lawyer. However, it’s also important to think out your questions carefully. It’s always better to ask a thoughtful question that’s clear and concise than to go around in circles—this is especially important if you’re being billed by the hour.

  1. Monitor Your Case’s Progress

If you’re an executor working with beneficiaries, you can expect to be asked about when they can expect to receive their inheritances. As such, it’s important to monitor your progress, providing the beneficiaries with timely updates.

The probate lawyer will help keep things organized by giving you a list of crucial dates, such as court hearings and deadlines for claims.

Bottom Line

Although hiring a lawyer tends to be a plus for anyone dealing with a probate case, it’s not a guarantee for success. As such, it’s important to sit down with your lawyer and talk about what goals to set, and what you should do to have a productive relationship.

For more in-depth information, talk to the experts of Global Insight.