You’ve likely heard of probate before, but do you know its purpose?
Grieving the loss of a loved one is never easy, and dealing with a complicated legal and financial process isn’t likely how you’d prefer to spend your time. However, this is the reality for many families who go through the probate process after losing a family member.
Read on to learn more about the purpose of probate.
Probate’s Purpose
While probate often handles legal matters related to estate planning, it has other purposes, too. The following are all matters that probate can handle:
- Wills
- Estates
- Conservatorships
- Guardianships
- The commitment of mentally ill individuals to institutions created to assist them
For example, when a will is challenged, the probate court must come to a ruling on the document’s authenticity as well as the mental stability of the person who signed it. The court will also decide who should receive which portion of the decedent’s assets, according to the instructions in the will.
What Probate Does
The probate court is tasked with ensuring that a deceased person’s debts are fulfilled and assets are distributed to the proper beneficiaries. Probate is all-encompassing because it handles all of the following:
- The overall legal process of dealing with a lost loved one’s assets and debt
- The management of the process
- The precise distribution of the assets
If you lost a loved one and you need help with the probate process, our team is here to help. It is not recommended that you handle a situation like this on your own. Having a skilled attorney on your side can make all the difference in the outcome of probate. We have helped many others in similar situations, and we may be able to help you, too.
Contact our estate planning attorneys today at [F:P:Site:Phone} to schedule a case review. We are proud to serve Madison and Oregon, WI, and surrounding areas.