Oxford Probate Lawyer

Oxford Probate Attorney

After a person dies, the probate process is the legal mechanism for resolving any outstanding issues with their estate and distributing the contents of the estate to their surviving beneficiaries. This is a notoriously difficult process, so it’s important that your family consults an experienced Oxford, CT, probate lawyer for their assistance. The right attorney can help you navigate probate proceedings more efficiently and will be ready to resolve any disputes that arise.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Probate in Oxford, CT

The attorneys at Burns Thomas, LLC, have years of experience helping clients in Oxford and the surrounding areas of Connecticut with their estate planning and estate administration. Oxford is a small but affluent suburban community, and many in the area wish to ensure as much of their wealth as possible transfers to their family without issue after their death.

Oxford is part of the Housatonic River Valley and the Naugatuck River Valley, and the community captures New England’s rural historical charm while offering easy access to larger nearby towns like New Haven and Waterbury. Anyone living in the area should take time to consider the benefits of estate planning to potentially spare their family the need to endure probate, but when probate is unavoidable, the right attorney is an invaluable asset.

Our firm can help you prepare for probate, gathering all records and documentation needed to resolve the process, and we can also identify any potential avenues for disputes among your family. Probate can often feel emotionless and detached, as the court will follow the state’s laws of intestate succession to the letter without much regard for family dynamics. However, having an attorney on your side can help make the process as painless as possible.

Understanding Probate in Oxford

Only about 32% of Americans have estate plans as of 2024, with most who do not reporting that they believe they do not own enough assets to need one as their reason for not exploring estate planning. Creating an estate plan can potentially allow you and your family to avoid a lengthy and expensive probate process. However, if you are unable to avoid probate for any reason, it’s vital to understand what this process entails.

If the deceased has a will, the probate process starts by examining the will to determine whether it is legally valid. It’s possible for disputes to arise over the will. For example, one family member may claim that another influenced the decedent to include certain terms in the will or took advantage of the decedent in some way during the creation of the will.

Probate also entails an extensive review of the contents of the estate. The court will want to see all relevant records and documentation to accurately assess the decedent’s total assets and debts. The court will order the payment of any outstanding debts and taxes from the estate before the remainder is distributed to the beneficiaries. This distribution will then follow the instructions set forth in the will, or it will follow Connecticut’s intestate succession laws if there is no will.

This is a lengthy and often difficult process that the court must oversee in its entirety. If disputes arise among beneficiaries, having an experienced Oxford, CT, probate lawyer will be an important asset. Ultimately, probate will be much easier to navigate if you hire a probate lawyer soon after a loved one’s death. Reach out to Burns Thomas, LLC, to learn more about the probate and estate administration services our firm provides.

Whether the best option for you is a comprehensive will, the establishment of trusts or other estate planning solutions, we will find a solution that fits your needs.

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FAQs

The team at Burns Thomas, LLC, has successfully helped many families in the Oxford area and throughout New Haven County through the probate process, and we’re ready to put this experience to work on behalf of you and your family. It’s important that you hire a probate lawyer you trust right away, so contact us today and schedule your consultation with an experienced Oxford, CT, probate lawyer to learn how we can help.