Trust & Estate Administration Attorney Norton Shores, MI

When a family member passes away, it can be difficult trying to settle their estate on your own.

If the decedent had a large estate, or you anticipate complications, we recommend hiring our Norton Shores estate attorney as soon as possible.

He will be able to guide you through the process of evaluating and distributing assets, which may or may not involve probate proceedings.

After the death of a loved one, our estate lawyer can help you:

  • Review the decedent’s estate planning documents
  • Notify beneficiaries of the estate plan
  • Identify what the decedent owned, what it was worth, and how it was titled
  • Publish notice to creditors and resolve debts
  • Determine if probate proceedings are necessary
  • Learn how income tax or estate tax will affect you
  • Provide an account for all receipts and disbursements that occur during estate administration
  • Complete personal and estate income tax returns

Unfortunately, many families don’t start estate planning until a loved one passes away. In the grief of losing a family member, it can be difficult trying to sort through their estate planning documents on your own. We recommend you hire an attorney before you fill out claim forms for retirement accounts, annuities, or other assets that trigger income tax considerations.

To further add to the confusion, each estate is different based on whether the decedent had a legal will, a funded living trust, or joint ownership arrangements of accurately completed beneficiary designations. Thankfully, our estate planning attorney can help you make sense of what needs to happen next.

Our Norton Shores estate lawyer will be able to help you through the process of sorting through your loved one’s estate planning documents. To schedule your consultation with estate attorney Douglas H. McPhail, call (231) 799-4994.