Estate Planning Attorney – Planning for the Future, Today
Probate Attorney in El Paso
The Law Offices of Luis Yañez rank as a top local law firm in El Paso. As a positively reviewed office, our ratings speak about our great consultation process and reliable help. Our team is made up of the most experienced attorneys and we’re proudly rated as the best local probate attorney by our clients. You can trust us to help you with all your probate needs.
Our Probate & Estate Planning Services
Probate and estate planning tend to be tough subjects to discuss due to the fact that they relate to the end of one’s life. But these details must still be taken care of in order to prepare yourself and your loved ones for the future. As a law firm devoted to the betterment of the El Paso community, we offer probate and estate planning services to make sure your family’s future is built upon a foundation of trust. Reach out to the Law Offices of Luis Yañez today to schedule your free consultation. Our team is ready to help you with the probate and estate planning legal process.
How a Probate Attorney Can Help
The probate process can be confusing and convoluted, as the court will legally recognize someone’s death and oversee the payment of the deceased debts and asset distribution. The court will also oversee the process and help protect the interests of creditors and beneficiaries. If you need help or guidance, the Law Offices of Luis Yañez can help.
The Importance of Working with an Estate Planning Attorney
As estate planning attorneys, we can also help you make a plan for how you want to divide your property when you pass away. This means helping you decide who should be in charge of your medical and financial affairs if you are unable to make the decisions yourself. Estate planning documents will state how you want your property to get distributed. This can include a combination of a will, powers of attorney, special deeds, directives, etc.
The Probate Process – How Our Probate Attorney Will Work With You
Probate can be a daunting process without the guidance of an experienced probate attorney. There are a few steps that must be taken to have everything done legally. During this process, we can help guide you and offer advice when necessary. We can assist with the following:
- Filing – An application must get filed with the Texas probate court where the deceased resided.
- Posting – The county clerk will post that the application was filed to notify anyone to contest the estate’s will or administration. As long as there are no contests, the court will proceed in opening the administration.
- Will validation – A judge will call a hearing and officially recognize the death and verify if there was a will or not and appoint an administrator.
- Asset categorization – Within 90 days of the appointment, the executor or administrator must have ready an inventory, appraisement, and list of claims sworn to be as accurate as possible to their knowledge.
- Beneficiaries identified – If there was a valid will, then the executor will notify the beneficiaries. If there was no will, then the court will determine heirship. However, we can help the party interested in the estate file a proceeding to determine heirship.
- Notifying creditors – Any debts left behind by the deceased will be sorted out.
- Settling disputes – Any contesting family members may be heard before a judge. They must prove the will is invalid or an error of some sort. This can mean forgery, a forced influence by a third party, improperly executed will, or more than one will was executed.
- Distributing assets – Once debts and disputes are cleared, the remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries.
Benefits of Working with an Estate Planning Attorney
A will can prepare your intentions for how your property should get distributed after you pass away. This can include who should be the guardian of your children, division of items, and money. Estate planning is final, so this helps with family conflict over items once you do pass away.
Estate Planning Preparations
As an estate planning attorney, we can help guide you through the process of estate planning to ensure everything gets sorted appropriately. A quick checklist for you to go by is as follows:
- Make a complete and thorough will
- Consider a trust
- Make health care directives
- Make a financial power of attorney
- File beneficiary forms
- Look into your life insurance coverage
- Understand your estate taxes
- Store your documents
Complicated Factors You Could Face
Family matters can get messy, and when it comes to splitting your assets, it can be hard deciding what goes where. You should first think about your debt and tax planning for after you pass away. Not having your assets in order early on can bring several problems to your family later on after you pass. The earlier you prepare, the more prepared your family will be at the time.
How Our Estate Planning and Probate Attorneys Can Help
We understand how many complications can occur during this entire process. By coming to us, you will get experienced and proper legal help through all of it. Our probate attorney can explain what you need and keep you up to date on the entire process. That also goes for our estate planning attorney if you’re taking the right step in preparing your will and assets early on.
Call Us For Our Legal Guidance
If you and your family need assistance for the probate or estate planning process, contact the Law Offices of Luis Yañez today to speak with attorneys Alejandra Valdez and David Chavez. As probate and estate planning attorneys, we can help assist and guide you through the lengthy legal process. Give us a call to set up a consultation.
