Ensuring You are Focused on the Important Things

The death of a loved one is an extremely emotional time. The last thing you should be burdened with is the complex legal, financial and tax matters that must be managed.
When a loved one passes, you need to focus on providing support to family and friends—the ones left behind to deal with the loss. It is not the time for you to be addressing transfers of real estate, stocks or checking accounts. It is not a time for you to be dealing with Probate court or tax returns. It is your time to grieve and to support others who are grieving as well.

How Epiphany Law Can Help

During the most trying times in life, Epiphany Law is there. We help with the identification and distribution of your loved one’s assets. We advise the personal representative through the Probate process. We analyze tax and financial matters. We file the necessary papers with the Probate court. And we do it all in an efficient and personable manner allowing you to focus on the important things in life.

Epiphany Law will ensure your loved one’s wishes are honored. We will be here to guide you through this trying time. Our experienced attorneys provide not only the necessary legal expertise, but also peace of mind when you need it most.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Probate?
A: Probate is a court-supervised process to transfer ownership of property and assets upon death. When there are family law matters—divorce or custody disputes, for example— family court handles these matters. Probate court handles matters at death. It is a system built to protect the rights of the decedent’s beneficiaries and creditors.

Q: Does a will avoid Probate?
A: No! A will is your instruction to the Probate court regarding how your property is to be distributed.

Q: How much does the Probate process cost and who pays the fees?
A: The fees involved in Probate consist of the following: court filing fees, attorney fees, and personal representative fees. Attorney fees vary based upon the complexity of each estate. Most attorneys charge an hourly rate for Probate cases. In general, all fees are paid from the decedent’s estate.

Q: I’ve heard that Probate takes a long time—is that true?
A: The average time for an estate to go through Probate is 12-24 months. Some estates take much longer if they are large or there are claims. The shortest time frame is about six months. The amount of time depends on the type of assets, value of assets, tax issues, creditors’ claims, and type of Probate action required.