Probate is the court proceeding through which the estate of a decedent is administered.

If a family member has died, we represent our clients in petitioning the court to become appointed the Personal Representative of the Estate. This procedure is necessary when the decedent died owning assets that were in his or her name alone, with no joint owner and/or no beneficiary.

Once the court has appointed the Personal Representative, that person is in a position to act on behalf of the estate — paying debts and taxes, collecting the assets of the estate and ultimately distributing the assets to the right people.

If the decedent received Medical Assistance benefits during her or his lifetime, there may be additional issues such as Medical Assistance liens or estate recovery issues that must be dealt with.

We help our clients with this and with all of the aspects of estate administration.