Curcio Law, PLLC, is a Michigan estate settlement law firm that provides exceptional representation through our commitment to professional excellence and client support and communication. Estate Settlement encompasses the process of finalizing a person’s financial affairs pursuant to applicable law and/or their established estate plan following their death. Estate settlement can take several forms and might include probate administration, trust administration, and/or facilitating transfer pursuant to beneficiary or transfer-on-death designation. Grand Rapids estate settlement lawyers play a crucial role in guiding their clients through these often emotionally charged and complex legal matters.
Losing a loved one is never easy, especially when you are left handling the logistics of their estate while simultaneously grappling with your loss. Curcio Law, PLLC, is here for your family and provides legal services addressing the following common estate settlement processes:
Probate administration is the legal process of being appointed authority to transfer ownership of assets owned by a decedent through the court system. If a person dies owning any assets in their name individually, probate will often be necessary to appoint a proper person to transfer legal ownership to the rightful heir(s) or distributee(s). The person so appointed is called the personal representative, or executor.
Probate administration may be necessary with or without a will. A common misconception among would-be-planners is that having a will avoids probate. To the contrary, if all you have is a will and you own assets in your name individually at the time of your death, your will must go through probate.
The probate administration process itself can take several procedural forms: small estate, affidavit, summary, formal, informal, supervised, unsupervised – all dependent upon the existence of a will, the types of assets in the estate, the value of assets in the estate, etc. The options alone can sometimes be enough to trigger anxiety paralysis. The experienced Grand Rapids probate lawyers at Curcio Law, PLLC, can help you navigate these turbulent waters to ensure your loved one’s wishes are followed while minimizing family conflict.
Trust administration is the process of managing and distributing trust assets pursuant to the terms of a trust. Trust administration is an ongoing process that occurs from the inception of the trust to its final distribution. In broad, simple terms, trust administration is a description of the trustee’s role, i.e. what the trustee is responsible for doing throughout the life of the trust. For many, though, trust administration becomes an issue only after a loved one dies and has appointed them as successor trustee. Now, your role is dispensing with the financial affairs of the trust in much the same way as a personal representative is responsible for wrapping up the probate estate.
Trust administration can be much more streamlined than probate administration and can occur without the same delays probate administration can sometimes create. However, the process can be just as complex dependent upon the terms of the trust or the nature and value of the assets to be distributed. The experienced Grand Rapids trust administration lawyers at Curcio Law, PLLC, can help take the guess work out of your role as trustee and ensure you are upholding your fiduciary duties to the beneficiaries.
Contact the Grand Rapids, Michigan trust administration and probate attorneys at Curcio Law, PLLC, today for your free consultation to discuss how we can assist you and your family.
Curcio Law, PLLC
625 Kenmoor Ave SE Ste 301
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616) 226-1861
jcurcio@curciolawmi.com
We provide unwavering professional excellence and client support in the areas of estate planning, elder law, and family law in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area
P: (616) 226-1861
F: (616) 226-1874
Mon to Friday 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM EST
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