Dealing with Creditors | Estate Probate Law

Posted on February 24, 2022 by jlawyer

Dealing with Creditors | Estate Probate Law As a general assumption, you may not enjoy dealing with creditors.

If you’re one of the few who breaks that generalization, that may be for your benefit and may make you a prime candidate for handling Minnesota probate law cases where the deceased had large amounts of debt.

How, nonetheless, creditors deal with things during probate might be a little different than what you’re used to. This could be very true as they may not have to fight anyone who can find ways to avoid paying off the debt.

The creditor may even come to realize that, as an interested person, they have power to get the probate case into motion. That said, you may need to know how to beat them at their own game.

Dealing with Creditors | Estate Probate Law

At the end of the day, the creditors want the cash that’s due to them. The trouble in their eyes is that the family may not want to establish the estate. That’s to say someone may want to go ahead and open up the probate process.

Minnesota probate could be the only way that they get their paycheck. From their perspective, if the family doesn’t want to pay up, because the bulk of humanity rarely enjoys the thought of paying creditors, the creditor has to do something.

So, establishing the estate might be their last resort to getting the money they’re due. And since any given creditor may qualify as an interested person, they may use their power to go ahead and open the estate.

Keep in mind that probate can be conducted with or without a will. It’s really whether or not there are enough assets or if there’s enough cash to pay a given creditor.

Even if the estate is eventually as marked as being insolvent, there still might be some cash that the creditors can obtain no matter how small that amount may be. Insolvent estates don’t help to prevent the creditors from getting a dime. There are simply no Minnesota probate assets. Rather, they’re exemplifications of the fact that the deceased lacked enough assets to fully pay off the creditor. Thus, beneficiaries shouldn’t anticipate anything.

Creditor Law and the Personal Representative (Executor)

Probate Creditors might not only talk to the people you want them to talk to. As far as you’re concerned, they might be acting like wolves on the hunt, preying on the vulnerable members of your family.

Assume that if they get the chance to talk to someone and gather data about the deceased or convince them to try and pay off the debts, any given creditor may go ahead and take that chance.

Working on getting the estate to pay up might be their goal, and that may mean harassment isn’t something they’ll forego.

Should any harassment take place, don’t hesitate to contact your lawyer. Have them personally create a letter to tell the creditors to cease this kind of contact. Keep in mind that the creditor will be the one who will be in the wrong.

There’s a legal act which is meant to stop them from talking about the deceased’s debt with at least three parties: friends, relatives, and neighbors. There’s a clause to that, as creditors are still allowed to civilly discuss debt with the deceased’s guardian, executor, administrator, spouse, and, in cases where the deceased was a minor, parents.

Personal Representative (Executor) Duties in Minnesota

Because of the potential concern about conflict of interest, a creditor might not be able to become a representative of the estate. You see, probate is all about settling things related to the deceased, and handling the debts is very much a part of that.

So, if a creditor had the power to decide what things would be sold off and how much was going to be given to transferred to them by what was generated from a sale, they could sell as much as they deem fit and, metaphorically speaking, make out like bandits.

The court will, most likely, allow for a friend or blood relation to serve as the deceased’s personal representative instead of creditors.

That said, be aware of what kind of powers a personal representative has in these cases, as they can make decisions regarding paying creditors, selling property to pay off debt, redistributing assets to heirs, handling taxes, paying bills, locating missing heirs, and closing out the estate.

Should you be in rather stressful financial circumstances, the last person you probably want to serve as the personal representative may be the creditor.

MN Probate Law and Bankruptcy

Should there not be enough assets to fully satisfy all of the outstanding debt, the only option left may be to declare the estate as being insolvent.

No, that doesn’t mean that the beneficiaries will be able to lay claim to the property, but they’ll be able to have peace of mind of not having to deal with the creditors anymore. This means that the entire estate may have to be sold off so that part of the debts can be finally paid. The creditors are trying to get everything they can get, regardless of how small.

If this is truly your only option, don’t assume that anything will be inherited. Even if you don’t have to declare the estate as insolvent, be prepared for every cash account to be emptied out and every piece of property to be sold off until the deceased’s debts are no more.

It’s hypothetically that the deceased owned two mansions and a fleet of cars, but after all the debts are paid, all that remained was a rusty Corvette and some miscellaneous possessions.

Such a picture, moreover, may be paradise compared to what happens to an insolvent estate, as even those items might be sold off to the highest bidder.

Minnesota Probate Lawyers

Get an assistant from Flanders Law Firm LLC and the Minnesota probate lawyers at the firm to teach you how to figure out what needs to be done. You want to find out how to both satisfy the creditors and keep the beneficiaries happy.

This isn’t a laughing matter. You need to work on keeping what you can in the family and only sell the least amount of assets as possible. No one can assume they’ll get anything until the creditors get their fair share.

Whatever kind of Minnesota probate case you might have in front of you, make sure that you have a probate lawyer to help you out. Even if a creditor has gone ahead of you and started the case, there’s still time to contact someone at

Contact the law firm for a free initial consultation at: 612-424-0398.

Sources:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/debts-and-deceased-relatives

Minnesota Probate: How to find out if someone left you money in their Will

Posted on November 1, 2021 by jlawyer

How to find out if someone left you money in their Will?

Getting your inheritance from someone else may take effort on your part. Though, to help you, take these directions to start you on your journey.

Maybe you’re just beginning your journey with Minnesota probate law or perhaps you’re refreshing your mind on some things. Navigating the road ahead perhaps won’t be a long journey for you once you start, but you might want to consider trekking across these United States to find out which county a lost relative resided in.

Minnesota Probate cases are almost always carried out on the county level rather than the state level. If you can narrow things down to the county, your search may already be drawing to a close.

Start in The Minnesota County Court

Probate cases are often retaliative to an area in which someone lived. So, it’s important to know what area they resided in last. This boils down to the county level rather than at the state level. While someone may need to have a probate case in each state that they owned a home, the main estate will probably be filled on the county level.

Things will probably be carried out in the area nearest to where the deceased actually lived until the time of their death.

Newspapers are a great place to start as well as libraries. Their resources might even be online, making them easier to access. Similarly, it’s becoming more and more common for counties to be putting their records on the internet for the public to view.

So, you might be able to check things from the comfort of an internet cafe. Note that the two main areas that you should check may be refereed to as death notices and obituaries. Moreover, your library may even be able to give you free access to resources that you may otherwise have to pay so that can further your search.

Consult an Executor (Personal Representative)

If the executor of the estate doesn’t know about any money that you were owed, nobody may know. Any executor of the estate is supposed to know exactly what’s in the will. Their whole role could have been a result of that will specifically, as executors are usually named in the will.

They’re the kind of person that has to deal with almost all of the money-related matters which the deceased didn’t complete. Any outstanding debts and issues with the property may be their responsibility now, as long as the deceased’s estate can cover for such payments.

Though, you might just get notified as a beneficiary when you least expect it. Giving an executor your contact information won’t hurt. That said, if you wait to hear from them, that’s perfectly fine, too. The worst thing that you can do is hide under a rock and pretend that you don’t exist, especially when they contact you. Assume that everyone wants this done and over with, and they don’t want to hold onto your money for your sake.

Minnesota Probate: Prepare to Wait

Your inheritance may actually take several months to arrive. Just because the deceased wanted you to have money doesn’t mean that you’ll get it immediately after their passing.

Probate is more complex than getting a check because the will said to give somebody cash. There’s the whole process to go through, and the executor could be fighting to figure out which parties can get their share while figuring out what can be auctioned off.

You may well be able to get your information faster by talking with various parties, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll get your money sooner. The executor may still have their many duties, and they could be waiting on the court for everything to be finalized.

It could very well be that the executor is also trying to find a way so that you can even get a portion of the money that was promised to you. If you do anything during this time, be a helping hand. Work with the executor, the probate court, the probate attorney, and any real estate agent who helps to sell the family home.

Other Assets: Aside from the Will

In the circumstance that a will wasn’t left, the case might end up just being your word that you were promised money. The fact is that an estate without a will may not have been dedicated to anyone. A trust could have been left, but those don’t always have the same requirement of going through probate as wills do, and they might not cover the entire property. Leaving everything without some form of estate plan means abandoning everything to the state so that they can relocate the assets properly.

Contacting the probate court is a wise idea even if a valid will was left. They can probably help you understand more about how the intestacy statutes work out, meaning that they can explain how that state handles cases in which a will wasn’t found. It’s common for almost all of the estate to go to the family and for the laws to be set up so that the closer the family was to the deceased, the higher priority they’ll receive.

Ending the Search

How many miles and how many people you’ll speak to may be more than you think. Hopefully, most your travel may be able to be done via phone or internet. Setting out to find the evidence could be your first task or it could be to find out which county managed the probate case.

Minnesota Probate Lawyers

Should you ever run into any kind of questions concerning probate, always make time to visit with a probate lawyer. One can be found at Flanders Law Firm LLC: www.flanderslawfirm.com, Call today at 612-424-0398.

How to Avoid Probate in Minnesota : Utilizing Joint Tenancy

Posted on April 9, 2021 by jlawyer

Utilizing Joint Tenancy to Avoid Probate

Rather than discussing the Minnesota probate process, here’s a bit of a look at how you can avoid having to deal with the process entirely. This isn’t a guarantee because everything depends on who survives who, but using a joint tenancy to prevent probate from happening should work for at least one party. If all goes well, probate law shouldn’t have any real effect on the property that you’re dealing with.

The nice part is that this whole process is rather simple. Below, you’ll find out more of what might be involved, but compared to most other forms of estate planning, this is relatively simplistic. Consider the following if you’re thinking about sharing ownership with someone and you want to ensure that at least one of you maintains ownership after one of you two passes.

The basics for avoiding probate with joint tenancy

Joint tenancy works to keep two or more parties’ assets from going anywhere else. That isn’t to say that the assets won’t go anywhere once all tenants have passed on, but that if one of the two remaining tenants passes, the surviving party gets the remaining assets. Effectually, you agree to walk towards a fork in the road with someone. However, who outlives the other determines which path you’ll take. You might think of it as survivor takes all so to speak.

Being married or not shouldn’t be an inhibiting factor. What you should be concerned about is whether or not you want the other party to inherit your bank accounts and other assets. If you’re serious about sharing everything that you own, this is a fine option. As a word of warning though, a joint tenancy will not work to prevent probate if all the tenants die at the same time. Though, even if one tenant does outlive the other tenant, they may need to rethink their estate planning plans since their original heir is no longer there.

Fast and Clean

Besides being rather inexpensive to create, joint tenancies usually help make things faster and easier for all parties involved. Part of this is because things are a lot simpler to figure out because once one party passes on, things just go to the other tenant. That’s assuming that there were only two tenants to begin with. It means that you can avoid most of that concern over finding beneficiaries and making awkward phone calls to distant relatives.

Concerning making things faster, the creation of a joint tenancy will probably be faster than crafting a will or a trust. You actually might not have to worry that much about fancy wording. It’s always wise to check in with your lawyer to be certain, but you may not need to be so worried. Ownership can be created and dissolved later on, moreover. So, if you’re looking to change things as time goes on and your estate planning becomes more robust, that’s just fine.

How it Works

There’s not much special to this part. It just goes to the other party. The title transfers, the survivor takes the deceased’s share, and the cows can go home. That property won’t be touched by probate court. It goes to the survivor after some paperwork gets done. Once everything is in their name, it’s in their name for real. To be blunt, a joint tenancy is effectually a legal agreement that lets another parry have your stuff after they’ve signed a few documents.

There is a bit of a clause to that though. What kind of property is being left behind dictates the kind of paperwork that needs to be done. Don’t let that scare you, however, as it will probably be a lot less of a pain than anything the probate process might throw at you. It’s possible for the probate process to take years to resolve depending on the circumstances. That’s not even getting into how wills can be contested just because the person who created it was relatively incapacitated.

Everything Must Go

Do be mindful of the fact that your portion will fully go to the other party if they survive you and vice versa. There really isn’t anything concerning estate planning that you can do with the stuff that’s under a joint tenancy besides give it to the other party. They get it all. There’s no portioning or negotiating. You may as well consider that anything in a joint tenancy will go to them without any questions asked. It’s kind of like an irrevocable will because the one party will get legal ownership without too much concern for having to deal with probate.

You will still own the property in a joint tenancy. That’s one thing that sets it apart from irrevocable trusts. However, that also means that you need to be fully aware of court rulings against your fellow tenant. Should the property that you both own be affected by a court ruling, you might feel those effects. You might be innocent, but the court ruling may still make things a bit more difficult. Hopefully, everything will go only once one of you two passes on and not when a judge has their say.

Minnesota Probate Lawyers

For further questions or for help with your estate planning ventures, you can get in touch with Flanders Law Firm LLC.

Someone there can walk you through what estate planning options are best for you, tell you if a joint tenancy is possible, or assist you with the probate process. Probate law doesn’t need to be something that stresses you out. All you have to do is reach them at 612-424-0398.

Estate planning can be a big deal, but it doesn’t need to be a difficult decision. Start working on it today for a better tomorrow.

What Happens if Someone Dies Without a Will? | MN Probate Law

Posted on January 18, 2020 by jlawyer

What Happens if Someone Dies Without a Will?

Wills, trusts, and all other kinds of estate planning may sound like complex subjects, but they can all help your loved ones.

This article tries to examine the possibility of what might happen to your estate without having any of estate planning set into place. Sure, you could be married, you could have several children, and you could even have grandchildren from your children’s children. That doesn’t mean that your estate will get to them quickly.

So, here’s a peek at probate law and estate planning law to help you get a better grasp on what not taking estate planning measures might mean for your assets.

Being married to someone may help ensure that your house stays within the family borders, but you should still be mindful of the contents. You might need to take a look at some of your bank accounts just to make sure everything is in order as well. And it never hurts to make a will with the help of a lawyer.

Minnesota Probate Time

Probate is like death and taxes as it seems to be inevitable. Perhaps the best reason to go through Minnesota estate planning is to try to avoid probate as much as possible. The probate process can affect most estates. That is, save for exceptionally small estates. As far as you’re concerned, probate might be a reality until you can get your estate properly handled.

To be blunt, everything you own must be accounted for. Either it must be accounted for during the probate process or it has to be dealt within some other matter. You can try hard to research if certain assets will avoid probate and that may prove advantageous. Nevertheless, without a probate lawyer working alongside you, there’s always the chance that something might slip past you.

Assets Scattered

Let’s continue discussing how probate affects your estate. In a very hypothetical situation, you pass without a will, trust, or any other kind of estate planning. In other words, in the eyes of the state, you did nothing.

What that probably means is that your assets might end up going to just about anyone. That’s an exaggeration, but as far as the court may be concerned, you may have done nothing to show that you really care about where your estate goes to.

Forget about most of what you had in writing if it doesn’t qualify as a will or some other kind of legal document.

If you’re married, there is hope for how to estate will be passed on.

However, if everything isn’t in order with your partner on a legal level or you’re single, don’t make any presumptions where your assets will go. Have the talks that you need to have with your significant other. Be upfront about debts that need to be paid. If you have no one, assume that the state will take ownership.

Joint Tenancy and Pay on Death

Co-ownership is an amazing concept. Assuming that you have a qualitative roommate, having someone cosign on a home with you might be one of the best options in terms of maintaining the property.

Yes, debt can snatch away your house and home, but if the debt is nowhere in sight, you might be able to keep a roof over both of your noggins. The same could be said to jointly held assets and bank accounts. This is why you should be knowledgeable about all of your assets and make sure that everything is properly allocated.

On that note, if you’re not looking to get hitched or otherwise, be mindful about co-signing with anyone.

Spouses tend to have a legal advantage compared to unmarried couples when it comes to dealing with probate. Effectively, think of a marriage certificate as a relatively basic will, helping your spouse receive at least part of your assets in the absence of said legal document.

What Happens if Someone Dies Without a Will?

Each state has their own different way of dealing with Minnesota probate law. However, there does exist a uniform probate code which acts, more or less, as a baseline to how states are to redistribute property.

As a summary, think of the code as having four levels of progression, namely spouse, descendants, parents, and relatives in that order. Think of it, to use a literary reference, as the levels of Probate that Dante needs to descend in order to pass on his property.

To break down these levels, a majority if not all of the estate will go to the deceased’s spouse and the rest may or may not come into play.

Those in charge may not pass on as much inheritance or any inheritance as they go down the levels. It’s when there’s no spouse, no parents, and so on and so forth, then the property eventually passes to the state.

Getting Things Set

Your estate planning situation doesn’t need to be perfect. At the law firm of Flanders Law Firm LLC, nothing needs to be in order or set in stone.

You can call them regardless of your situation. You can be single. You can be married. It really doesn’t matter where you’re at. Right now, to help ensure that everything’s in order for your passing, you can take time and get some help with your will.

Or perhaps you need a few Minnesota revocable trusts created. Whether you have an issue relating to probate law or estate planning law, it never hurts to ask.

Call the firm today at 612-424-0398.

Sources:

www.elderlawanswers.com/what-happens-if-you-die-without-a-will-7390

When Is Probate Necessary?

Posted on May 14, 2019 by jlawyer

For Complex Estate Situations

Generally, you should consult a lawyer when you’re dealing with a larger probate estate.

However, you may also need to speak to your lawyer if the estate itself is not set to pass onto someone else. When there are multiple parts to an estate that need to be separated out, your family might benefit from having a lawyer step in and sort out everything.

There are lawyers out there that understand that ensuring everyone’s happiness isn’t always a simplistic task. Above all, double check with your lawyer about whether or not your state actually requires you to have your will probated. You probably won’t be around once you’re loved ones find out that your will wasn’t properly set into place. Otherwise, they might find out they need help when it’s already too late.

Sole or Shared

If you own something that’s only in your name, your car for example, or shared with another individual, say a building that you invested in, those things might go through probate. Probate law is commonly used for getting the stuff that’s in a sticky situation out.

Just because you gave your granddaughter a card saying that you want to give her your car upon her eighteenth birthday doesn’t make it legal. It may help the legal process since it technically is in writing, but if you truly want to pass down something in your name, you want to make sure that everything’s legal. When in doubt, pitch a call to your lawyer and explain your situation.

What Doesn’t Qualify

As mentioned previously, shared assets sometimes will go through probate since part of the shared asset was owned by the deceased. This is not always the case. Certain items that automatically go to a surviving owner may not need to go through probate. However, when the jointly owned assets don’t automatically transfer, you need to start thinking about probate law. Similarly, if there exists a valid beneficiary designation for a given asset, it might not need to go through probate law.

The same is true for assets that are listed in the deceased’s trust. That’s why estate planning is so beneficial, because it helps settle things before problems arise. However, if you know of any existing assets that do not fall under one of these three categories, make a note that these should be handled with the help of a lawyer who understands probate law.

On Tenants-In-Common

When you have assets owned in a tenants-in-common ownership, they have the chance of going through probate law. Even though these assets are in a joint ownership, they can be a bit messy to deal with. First off, the assets that are held in a tenants-in-common ownership can be rerouted to anyone that you chose.

Nonetheless, there’s a clutch: those assets must go through probate in order to pass onto someone else. They do not, moreover, automatically go to the person who has joint ownership with you unless your will says otherwise. So, on one side, you have control of where the assets go. On the other hand, these assets will end up going through legal proceedings before they transfer.

Check the Trust

Not every asset that’s in a trust can avoid going through probate. There are certain kinds of trusts that help your assets stay out of probate and there are others that do not. Testamentary trusts are one kind of trust that do not shield the assets from probate. In other words, if the trust in question is inside a will, all of the assets listed could potentially be put through the legal process.

Moreover, testamentary trusts have a kind of lock over them, causing both the will and assets to be halted by the probate process. They exist in a kind of limbo, resulting in assets that are technically set to pass to particular individuals being unable to pass until the probate case is dealt with.

Who Has Final Say

Deciding who has final say is another reason why you may want to find someone for helping you with estate planning. If no one has been chosen to be the extractor of the will, the state takes over that role. This is why you should have a lawyer who understands probate law while you’re working on your will.

When it comes to putting items through probate, in the absence of an executioner, the state gets to decide who is the executioner. In affect, the state takes over all wills that don’t have executioners and has the freedom to elect a puppet executioner who doesn’t necessarily hold your values. Moreover, this executioner doesn’t merely open the court case, they also shepherd the probate case till the case is finished. Thankfully, an executioner who’s been decided upon by the will also has this same power, potentially helping the family for the better.

Lawyers Who Know Probate Law

Whether you’re making a will, haven’t composed a will, or you’re getting ready to put assets through probate, you probably need someone who knows the ins and outs of Minnesota probate law. The law firm of Flanders Law Firm LLC is an answer to your problems. Any assets that are going through probate need to be handled carefully.

There are lawyers out there who understand the importance of those assets. Even if the state elects an executioner, you may still want to have some legal assistance.

So, if there exist some assets that might go through probate, ask about getting free initial consultation at 612-424-0398.

Posting a Bond in a Minnesota Probate

Posted on March 6, 2018 by jlawyer

Bonds and MN Probate

In some estate the law firm has worked on, the personal representative has been required to post a bond. This post explains (1) what a probate bond is and (2) why one might be required.

A Probate Bond

In some cases, the court may require the the personal representative (executor) of the estate post a bond equal to the amount of the estate assets. Therefore, if the estate is worth $500,000.00, then the court could require a $500,000.00 bond. Why? Because the court wants to ensure that the personal representative does the right thing, follows the law, and doesn’t lose or worse, steal the money from the estate.

A bond is surety posted by the personal representative against the estate assets. The personal representative will literally have to post collateral against the bond in case they make a mistake in the estate. This is a bid deal and something people should take very seriously.

Why Might a Probate Bond be Required?

In formal, supervised administration in Minnesota, a bond is almost always required. However, most estate are not formal and supervised by the court. In fact, I would guess that only around 10% of estates proceed in this fashion.

Therefore, the question becomes: why is a bond required in this minority of estates? One reason for a bond is that there may be family members or other parties that are “fighting” and the personal representative must post a bond to preserve assets. Many times, when heirs and other parties are fighting a professional personal representative will be appointed by the court. A professional must always be bonded and the estate will always be a formal, supervised estate.

Another instance when the law firm has seen bonds required is when the estate is insolvent. For instance, the estate may have a home, but there are debts worth more than the home. In essence, the court may require a bond so that the creditors of the estate are protected. It is easy to see why a party might not want to sell a home or other assets just to be the deceased person’s bills. After all, what fun is that? Yet, the court might require a bond in this case.

Finally, the last common instance when a bond is required is when the deceased person gave money to people under the age of 18. In this case, the court will likely want to ensure that the children receive the money they are owed. Courts treat children very carefully because they are not legally able to represent themselves.

Minnesota Bond Lawyers

The law firm has attorneys with years of experience dealing with probates of all kinds. If you have questions about the requirements of a bond or other probate issues, contact the law firm today at 612-424-0398.

How to Avoid Probate | The Benefits of Bypassing Probate Through The Small Estate Exception

Posted on August 31, 2017 by jlawyer

The Benefits of Bypassing Probate Through The Small Estate Exception

We’ve all heard that probate is a process best avoided, if possible. It can take time, costs money and involves prolonged contact with a court, all things most people would prefer to steer clear of. Probate can be avoided with the help of an experienced Minnesota estate-planning attorney.

The good news is that in other cases probate can also be avoided (or expedited) just because of the size of the estate.

Why would the size of the estate matter? The reason that certain small estates are exempted from certain aspects of the probate process is to avoid wasting precious resources. If a person only leaves behind a few thousand dollars, it would be unjust to spend a substantial percentage of that going through probate trying to figure out whom to disburse the money to.

Far better to let the heirs apply for an expedited process that allows them to walk away with a larger amount in their pockets and less in the probate court’s coffers.

Minnesota Small Estate Affidavit process

If inheritors follow certain steps, Minnesota law allows them to skip the probate process altogether, provided, of course, the estate clears certain financial hurdles. Under the simple affidavit process, all an inheritor has to do is prepare a short affidavit that explains that he or she is entitled to a certain asset.

The document must be signed under oath and can then be presented to a bank or other financial institution holding an asset. The bank then gets the affidavit and a copy of the person’s death certificate and will then release the asset. This simple affidavit process is possible in Minnesota only if the entire estate does not exceed $75,000. The only other rule to keep in mind is that you must wait 30 days after the person’s death to use the affidavit.

Simplified probate

Small estates can also use what is known as a simplified probate process. This less burdensome approach requires an executor fill out a written request from the local probate court asking to use the simplified probate procedure. The court will then decide whether to grant the executor the authority to distribute assets without going through all the steps usually associated with probate. The simplified process can be used in Minnesota only after the court ensures that no property is subject to claims by creditors.

Are there any downsides? So far it sounds like a universally appealing option if it’s available to you. If you are set to inherit a small estate then anything that helps reduce the time and expense associated with securing that inheritance is a great thing.

One word of warning, though it can be good to avoid the cost of paying a lawyer, if you have any concerns about the estate or the steps involved in finalizing the process, it’s better to take a moment and seek an experienced opinion rather than potentially make a mess that could cost even more money to fix down the road. Even small estates can include complicated questions that would benefit from the wisdom of a skilled estate-planning attorney.

Minnesota Probate Lawyers

An experienced Minnesota probate lawyer can help walk you through the probate process, answering questions along the way. For more information on estate planning in Minnesota, along with a variety of other topics, contact Joseph M. Flanders of Flanders Law Firm at (612) 424-0398.