Estate Administration and Probate
Hire an Experienced Local Estate Attorney With No Money Down!
When a loved one passes away, the last things people want deal with are the legal requirements associated with the settling an estate. That is where the attorneys at The Law Offices of Borla, North & Zaba step in. We are an experienced legal team dedicated to settling a decedent’s estate for one low affordable fee. Our staff has decades of experience working with all kinds of estates and know exactly what needs to be done to close an estate quickly and efficiently. In some instances, probate can be avoided altogether in order to save you time and money.
If probate is required, you will need an attorney under Illinois law. We offer free consultations for all of our clients so you can get an understanding of the process and costs prior to hiring an attorney, and in many cases, our attorneys will begin working on your file with no money due upfront! Additionally, our firm also focuses on corporate and real estate law so if the decedent owned a business or real estate when they passed, we can represent you in those matters as well. Call today for a free consultation with one of our experienced estate administration attorneys.
Probate Process
As mentioned previously, not all estates are required to navigate through probate. Probate is the legal process for distributing the decedents estate through a court of law. The probate process can last anywhere from six months to a couple of years, and can be either independent or supervised (where the court will closely oversee and approve all aspects of the process). Typically, the probate process will include the following steps:
- Filing of the decedent’s will, if they had one;
- Filing of a petition with the court to initiate the probate process;
- Appointment of an executor or administrator to act on behalf of the estate;
- Notice will be provided to the heirs and the general public;
- Preparing an inventory of the estate;
- Administration of any claims of the estate;
- Selling or liquidation of the estate;
- Closing of the estate;
- Distribution of assets to legatees/heirs;
- Filing and paying of any estate taxes.
How To Avoid Probate
Under Illinois law, probate can be avoided if the decedent’s personal estate passing through intestacy or under a will, does not exceed $100,000 and does not include real estate. Please note, this only includes property passing through a personal estate, and does not include assets housed within a trust or assets paid out to qualified beneficiaries such as a life insurance policy. Our attorneys can offer a quick review of a decedent’s estate to advise if probate is required, and will work to avoid probate if at all possible in order to save you plenty of time and money.
In Illinois, individuals can avoid probate by doing the following:
- Creating a revocable or irrevocable living trust;
- Creating joint ownership on certain accounts;
- Setting up payable-on-death accounts;
- Naming qualified beneficiaries on applicable accounts.
Call Now for a Free Consultation With an Attorney - (630) 442-0520
At The Law Offices of Borla, North & Zaba, we work with estates, executors, administrators, heirs, and beneficiaries to make sure an estate is administered accurately and efficiently. If you need an estate administration or probate attorney, contact our office today to speak with one of our attorneys. We handle estate matters in all six Chicagoland counties, and are happy to answer all of your questions at no charge.
