| Elizabeth McMaster Attorney & Counselor at Law, PLC |
| Probate and Estate Administration |
Many people refer to estate administration as "probate". The estate administration
process begins when a personal representative, usually a family member or close
friend of the decedent, locates the decedent's original will. "Probate" refers to the
action of submitting the will to the Clerk of the Circuit Court with proof that the
will is valid (this is usually accomplished by witness signatures to the will itself).
Once an executor or administrator (also referred to as a "personal representative")
has qualified with the Court, the personal representative has certain forms and
notices that must be provided to the beneficiaries of the decedent's estate. In
many cases, an inventory of the estate must be filed with the appropriate
Commissioner of Accounts. There are many other duties required of the personal
representative which can become overwhelming; therefore an attorney can
become a valuable resource to assist you with the process. Our firm can assist
personal representatives with the following:
process begins when a personal representative, usually a family member or close
friend of the decedent, locates the decedent's original will. "Probate" refers to the
action of submitting the will to the Clerk of the Circuit Court with proof that the
will is valid (this is usually accomplished by witness signatures to the will itself).
Once an executor or administrator (also referred to as a "personal representative")
has qualified with the Court, the personal representative has certain forms and
notices that must be provided to the beneficiaries of the decedent's estate. In
many cases, an inventory of the estate must be filed with the appropriate
Commissioner of Accounts. There are many other duties required of the personal
representative which can become overwhelming; therefore an attorney can
become a valuable resource to assist you with the process. Our firm can assist
personal representatives with the following:
- Qualification with the Circuit Court
- Obtaining and opening an estate identification number with the IRS
- Filing an inventory and preparing the required notices with the beneficiaries
of the estate - Assistance with filing of accountings with the Commissioner of Accounts
- Locating assets and paying debts owed by the estate
- Assisting the personal representative with small estates or insolvent estates
- Dealing with special problems in estate administration, including removal
of fiduciaries, special asset problems, and suits for guidance with the Court
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