Probate and Estate Administration

Our Probate Attorneys help Executors and Administrators close out and settle estates as efficiently and quickly as possible. Because we focus only on Estate matters, clients seek out our services throughout Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and New Jersey. Wherever your location, our Probate Lawyers make the process easy for you.

Concierge Service: One Task or the Entire Process, It’s What We Do!

We are flexible. We have a Probate Lawyer who can help you with one or two issues, or we can take on the entire probate process. At our firm, a Probate Attorney is ready to help. We have a whole department of Probate Attorneys. Very few practices can provide you that depth of experience. Estate Administration is what we do!

What Your Probate Lawyer Will Do For You:

We have an experienced Estate Administration Lawyer ready to help you with any task, but Personal Representatives and Executors will most often have us help with the following:

• Filing the Register of Wills or Surrogate Petition and Inventory.
• Collecting Assets.
• Filing Tax Returns.
• Selling real estate and businesses.
• Settling Creditor Claims.
• Working with problem heirs.
• Obtaining the Executor’s very important Release of Liability documentation.

What is Probate?

Probate is the process whereby the State recognizes a person’s death and appoints an individual or entity with power and responsibility to gather the deceased’s assets, pay creditors and then distribute the remaining assets to rightful heirs. If the person had a Will, Probate begins with filing the Will. The State then officially recognizes the Executor or Personal Representative. If there is no Will, Probate begins with appointing the estate’s Administrator.

How Can I Avoid Probate?

Several techniques exist to avoid probate, including Revocable Living Trusts. Many people error in sacrificing Asset Protection when avoiding probate. Many methods of probate avoidance, such as joint ownership, TOD and beneficiary designations expose inheritances to creditor claims. Further, these assets are unprotected should your child divorce. Saving a few dollars in Probate fees can result in losing everything. The “Pennywise and Pound Foolish” analogy is especially apt in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where probate fees are low. While these same techniques save significant sums in New York, California, and Florida, they have small savings in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Before taking any steps, consult with an experienced Estate Planning Lawyer, so you understand all the pros and cons.

What Happens If My Family Fights Over Their Inheritance?

The best defense is a good offense. When you have reason to believe your family will not get along at your death, work with a good Estate Planning Lawyer to craft an Estate Plan anticipating a dispute. Make wise Trustee and Executor choices and, if possible, talk to your family while you are still alive. In anticipation of a dispute, consult with a firm focused on Estate Litigation. Only a firm that understands Estate Litigation can properly help plan to avoid Estate Litigation.

Probate Department? You Mean More Than One Probate Attorney? Who Has a Probate Department?

We do. Most firms have one paralegal who handles a small amount of Estate Administration. We have a whole department. Probate is what we do, let us put our experience to work for you.

Reasonable Prices, Years of Experience, We Make Your Job Easier.

In general, we bill hourly for our services rather than taking a percentage. If we do work, you pay us, but if the task is an easy one, then there is no reason to pay us a hefty fee. Our detailed, comprehensive monthly bills explain what you are paying for. We have been Probate Lawyers for over 20 years. Representing Executors isn’t something that we do part-time, this is what we do! For more than two decades Sir Lewis & Associate Law Firm has focused only on estate matters. This experience allows us to help you understand the process. We make it easy for you to understand.

We listen and provide our experience where you need it.

Our Experience Saves You Money.

Many firms handle a few Probate matters on a part-time basis. Inexperience is not cost effective. Providing Probate representation is what we do, our experience allows us to focus quickly on the issues that matter. Our focus helps us arrive at the most cost efficient plan. We find the solution to your problem while the others are just warming up.

Executors are Personally Liable; Let us Protect You.

If you are going to serve as an Executor, Personal Representative or Administrator then you have taken on a level of personal liability. You are a fiduciary with a duty to the Beneficiary. You can be made to correct any mistake by using your money. Further, any beneficiary has the right to bring you before a judge to explain every action and every expense. This threat of personal liability is why you have the legal right to retain a lawyer to represent you. The estate pays the bill, but the estate reaps the benefit of efficiency and reduced chance of litigation.

You Are Not Expected to Know All The Answers, But you Pay for any Mistake.

You are not expected to know how to manage every issue that arises. But you are liable if you act upon something you don’t understand when you simply had to hire a professional to assist you. If you fail to retain help and venture out on your own, then you are responsible for your mistakes. Should your error reduce the estate or trust, you are expected to use your funds to repair the damage. If you fail to rectify your error voluntarily, a Beneficiary can force you to explain yourself to a judge. The judge then can Surcharge you. If you are not an expert Personal Representative, why risk a mistake? Protect yourself; the system allows you to use the estate funds to hire an experienced Probate Attorney.

Professional Executors and Trustees Hire Lawyers.

Banks and Trust Companies serve as professional Executors and Personal Representatives. They regularly hire either in-house lawyers or retain Probate Attorneys such as our firm. If professionals refuse to provide services without a Probate Lawyer, why would a non-professional expose themselves to liability and go it alone?

Reasonable Prices | Years of Experience | We Make Probate and Estate Administration Easier.

If you have any questions about Probate or any other estate administration topics, feel free to contact us to schedule a free consultation. For more than two decades Sir Lewis & Associate Law Firm has focused only on Estate Law. We’ve seen it all, and this experience allows us to explain complex estate planning techniques clearly and concisely. We make it easy for you to understand estate planning so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family.

Julius A. Andrews is the founding member of Sir Lewis & Associate Law Firm, a six attorney boutique estate planning law firm. We serve clients in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Minnesota and Florida. Julius A. Andrews received his Masters in Taxation LL.M. from NYU Law School and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. He served his country in the Navy JAGC during Desert Storm. Easy to talk to, feel free to call Julius for an appointment. We will make the process as easy as possible!