Joe was divorced with two grown sons. He died in a house fire, which destroyed all his records. His sons have no information about the nature of his estate or his debts, other than a copy of a will written in 1982.

Question: Can they probate a copy of a will?
Question: How do they marshal assets if they don't know where or what they are?

Reginald died leaving six parcels of real estate, some in states other than California, all of which were encumbered by mortgages. He also had credit card debts, two judgments against him, and consumer retail debt to stores such as Mervyn's, Sears, and Home Depot. The total debts of the estate nearly equal the combined funds of the properties.

Question: How do the beneficiaries deal with the debts?
Question: Does California have jurisdiction over properties and debts in other states?

Mary died leaving six adult children. She had a will leaving everything equally to her children, but had deeded a one-half interest in her house to her eldest daughter in the year before her death in order to have her daughter help her to qualify for a loan. The daughter now claims to be a one-half owner. The other siblings believe the house should go equally to all six children as they claim their mother had wished.

Question: How does this situation get resolved?

If you have more than a routine probate, an experienced attorney can answer all questions, such as the ones posed here. An attorney can act as a buffer and mediator between hostile beneficiaries, can address different practical issues as well as legal issues, and is in more neutral position to deal with creditors of an estate than the beneficiaries who will directly benefit.

If you feel you need the services of an attorney, we are available to:

1) Provide advice on a question by question basis by the hour
2) Handle the estate for our discounted fees, payable at the close of the estate.
3) Provide timely and compassionate service with respect and sensitivity.