Probate Attorney San Fernando Valley, CA
If you’re an executor, personal representative, or estate administrator in San Fernando Valley, California, and the estate assets qualifying for probate are sufficiently large (i.e., over $100,000 maintained outside of an appropriate trust), then in all likelihood, such assets will have to go through probate in order to close out the estate.
Here at the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman, our experienced San Fernando probate attorneys can assist you with all aspects of the probate administration process, from verifying the Will, to identifying the necessary estate assets, to notifying creditors and beneficiaries, and more.
Our Probate Attorneys in San Fernando Valley Can Help You Navigate the Probate Process
What Is Probate?
In California, and in other jurisdictions, probate is a court-supervised legal proceeding in which the deceased person’s estate (and various matters relating to their estate and estate assets) is fully evaluated and “closed out,” so to speak. As a formal, court-supervised process, probate can be quite costly — both from a financial and a time perspective — and in many situations, it may be preferable if the probate process can be avoided altogether. During the estate planning stage, many people therefore establish probate-avoiding structures (such as trusts) to ensure that their assets do not get locked up in an extensive probate process.
Probate also allows beneficiaries contest the probate, or the Will. This can lead to further delays and may create an even more emotionally challenging atmosphere for the remaining beneficiaries. By contrast, trusts often include “no contest” clauses that prevent beneficiaries from contesting the distribution of assets, except in very limited circumstances.
Even if trusts have been created, some portion of the estate assets may still have to go through probate if there are a significant amount of funds that have not been moved into probate-avoiding device, such as a trust, joint tenancy agreement, or transfer-on-death account. In California, “summary probate” — a quicker and less comprehensive form of probate — may be available if the estate assets tally less than $100,000.
The San Fernando Valley Probate Process at a Glance
As the executor or administrator of the estate, or as the personal representative of the deceased, you may not be entirely confident as to whether the estate should go through probate in San Fernando Valley, CA. It is important that you get in touch with a qualified probate attorney as soon as possible.
Your attorney will first determine whether the estate is organized such that it must go through probate. If probate is necessary, a petition will be submitted to the probate court in the applicable county.
Under the supervision of a probate court, your San Fernando Valley probate attorney will:
- Verify the authenticity and validity of the Will.
- Identify estate assets.
- Appraise the estate assets.
- Notify creditors and beneficiaries of the probate process.
- Pay taxes and debts.
- Distribute estate assets to qualifying beneficiaries.
- Negotiate compromises between disputing parties.
- And more!
How the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman Can Assist You During the Probate Process in San Fernando Valley, CA
San Fernando Valley attorney Daniel C. Harriman has spent his 25-year legal career focused on estate planning, probate, and estate administration. He has represented a range of clients in San Fernando Valley probate administration proceedings, helping them avoid the various pitfalls of probate, such as excessive delays and beneficiary/creditor conflicts. Whereas many attorneys offering probate administration services are not specialized in the practice area, at the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman, we pride ourselves on our extensive specialized experience handling probate administration matters in the San Fernando Valley.
Attorney Harriman handles all cases personally and puts a great deal of time and effort into meeting with clients through the engagement process and keeping them “in-the-know” with regard to new developments in their case. When we work with clients, we consider their unique strategic objectives and seek to accomplish these objectives through whatever means we have available to us during the San Fernando Valley probate administration process. This client-oriented approach has served us well over the years — many of our clients have noted that our prompt and comprehensive probate administration services helped them successfully close out the estate at issue.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a San Fernando Valley Probate Lawyer
Here at the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman, we represent executors, administrators, and personal representatives in a range of probate and estate administration matters.
If you’re concerned about the complicated nature of the probate process and would like to speak with a professional for further guidance, contact the Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman today at (818) 264-4285, or submit an online form through our site. Our experienced San Fernando probate attorneys will evaluate the estate (and its various assets) and begin the probate administration process on your behalf.
We look forward to assisting you.
Information on San Fernando Valley, CA
San Fernando Valley is a region of nearly two million people located in the northwestern portion of Los Angeles County, in Southern California. San Fernando Valley is bounded by the San Joaquin Valley further to the northwest and the Mojave Desert to the northeast. The city of Los Angeles occupies the largest portion of the San Fernando Valley, along with other cities such as Glendale and Calabasas, CA.
San Fernando Valley is perhaps best known for the presence of a number of media conglomerates. Globally-relevant film studios, such as Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. maintain large studios in the Valley.
According to the US census, the median age in San Fernando Valley is 37 years old (with 19 percent of the total population age 60 and older), and 48 percent of adults are married. As such, the San Fernando Valley lies at the epicenter of a substantial amount of probate and estate administration matters in California.