Probate & Estate Administration

Copeland, Franco, Screws, & Gill handle all aspects of Probate and Estate Administration for estates. Probate is the legal process by which a person's will is allowed by the Probate Court. The provisions of the will dictate how the individual's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon death. Estate Administration includes the probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets, such as life insurance, annuities, qualified plans, and trust assets and compliance with applicable estate tax requirements. The firm’s lawyers assist the personal representative of the estate in the gathering, valuation, accounting and distribution of the decedent's assets. The lawyers prepare federal and state estate tax returns as well as the appropriate documents in order to release liens on a decedent's real estate. It is their responsibility to assure that all steps are properly taken in order to carry out the decedent's intent in accordance with the law.