Probate

Probate is the legal process by which a Court appoints a Personal Representative or Executor to pay a deceased person’s valid bills and distribute the remaining assets to the deceased person’s heirs. The average formal Probate takes from 9 months to 1 year even when there are no complicated issues. A Last Will & Testament is a “map” to carry out the wishes of the deceased person. A Last Will & Testament does not avoid probate. A Probate can be opened with a Last Will & Testament or even without one.

From the time you make an initial call to our law firm, our experienced paralegal and legal assistants will gather detailed information for Matthew’s initial consultation to be productive and successful. When you meet with Matthew for estate planning, one of his primary goals is to avoid Probate. Probate can be prevented with careful and proper planning with a thorough review of your assets. Matthew will discuss your options regarding how to avoid Probate and when it would be appropriate to use Revocable Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, Co-ownership of assets, Life Estate Deeds, or beneficiary designations.

If your loved one dies, Matthew will assist you in determining if Probate is needed and how to transfer ownership of assets that did not need to be probated. He will discuss your Estate Planning options and updates that may be necessary to your documents.

When Probate is needed, Matthew will walk you through the probate process step by step. He will assist you in gathering the probate assets and notifying the creditors of the estate. He will also guide you on when and how to pay debts of the estate and transfer the property to the beneficiaries of the estate at the appropriate time.

Matthew Shapiro serves the entire Central and North Florida areas including Bunnell, Crescent City, Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, DeLand, Deltona, Edgewater, Flagler Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast, Port Orange, Orange City, Ormond Beach, Pierson, Ponce Inlet, Seville, South Daytona and St. Augustine. (386) 672-2550 or email us.