Did you know that Arizona law gives creditors up to four months to submit claims to an estate?

This fact and other crucial factors a probate lawyer understands can save you months or years of headaches. After a loved one passes away is too late to protect assets that take a lifetime to accumulate.

An estate planning attorney in Chandler, AZ can create Last Will and Testaments, property deeds and revocable living trusts that ensure your estate goes where it should. As an added value, a probate law firm can also help avoid costly court fees and painful tax rates.

Find out exactly what you need to know to take advantage of these and even more benefits in the paragraphs below!

Probate Lawyer Services

The range of concerns a lawyer in the Greater Phoenix area deals with can extend from writing wills to conservatorships. To find out what legal counsel can do for you after Googling "probate lawyer near you," consider the services in the following paragraphs.

Estate Planning

The term estate planning may sound like it's for the wealthy, but anyone can benefit from engaging in this activity. Your probate attorney can help you make plans for everything from your bank account to pets. Engaging in this process usually starts with creating an estate planning checklist to share with your legal counsel.

Wills

You can create a Last Will and Testament online, but it only takes an equally cheap person to poke holes into it. Avoiding legal fights among relatives can require counsel to close any potential loopholes. Also working with an estate planning lawyer can help you avoid probate, which a Will created in the internet will most likely not do.

It's crucial not to confuse these types of legal arrangements with a living will. As opposed to ensuring ownership passes to a beneficiary, a Living Will creates orders for doctors to follow in case you can't make decisions for yourself and you are in a vegetative estate. If you are no longer able to express your wishes, this document provides directions to medical staff. It can not only save money by avoiding medical expenses but it also will give your family peace of mind, as they will be following your orders and not deciding on their own.

Living Trusts

A trust creates a financial relationship between the creator and a trustee, which can be the creator of the trust or a third party. This arrangement usually involves handing over significant assets like your life savings, property, or ownership in a company. A wide range of possibilities exists to create trusts that can benefit charities or even take care of pets after their owner passes away.

Personal Representative

No matter how well you make plans to protect your assets, formal probate can occur. During this process, the court assigns someone to assist with shepherding the estate through the system. A close relative or spouse often fills this role, but an attorney can help ensure that everything goes smoothly.

For example, a personal representative needs to take inventory, notify creditors, and pay taxes. Having experience providing probate legal representation can be an advantage to ensure this goes smoothly.

At Citadel Law Firm we actually work closely with you to avoid probate. We can create strategies for you and your family to make sure everything goes smoothly when the time comes. Even a small estate can benefit from working with an estate planning attorney.

Do avoid probate You Need Help With Estate Planning Attorney in Chandler, AZ?

Hiring a probate lawyer can feel uncomfortable because of the seriousness of what you're handling. However, the alternative to probate legal representation is for the government to make the decisions. That is usually when fights start and family members stop talking to each other.

You can take control of what happens to your property starting today by hiring an estate planning attorney in Chandler, AZ! Click here to schedule a consultation or call 480-565-8020 to speak to a probate legal representative who can help.