What do you do when a family member dies in Collin County, Texas?  You may need a probate attorney for the Collin County Probate Court.

 

Fortunately, in the State of Texas, probate is easy and inexpensive by comparison to other states.  The first thing you should do after someone passes away is contact a probate attorney for a free consultation.  The probate lawyer will walk you through all the steps and make the process as straightforward as possible.

If your family member or friend died, why is it a priority to schedule a free consultation with a Collin County probate court lawyer?  The probate attorney can provide answers to your questions, usually right over the phone.

  • You may not need to probate.
  • You may be eligible for Texas probate alternatives.
  • You will know what is involved in distributing the property in the estate.
  • You can speed up the process of getting heirs their inheritance.

The Collin County probate attorney can help you deal with your family member’s property.  Most of Shutt Law Firm’s probate clients are pleasantly surprised at the low cost and easy process for probate in Collin County, Texas.

The list of property to deal with can seem overwhelming:  the house, car, retirement account, bank account, savings, furniture, other personal property.  What if the deceased person had debts?  How do you transfer all the property to the people listed in the Will?  What if the person had no will?  How do you know who inherits each piece of property?  Again, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed with all the questions, when you can get answers to your probate questions with a quick phone call.

Call Collin County Probate Court Attorney Isaac Shutt for a no-obligation consultation. (214) 302-8197.  You may also schedule a consultation easily by clicking here.

What is Probate?

The root of the word Probate is “prove.”  So, probate is proving that a Last Will is valid for proving who the beneficiaries (heirs) are.

Probate is the legal process that is often required in order to distribute a deceased person’s property.    Some attorneys are dedicated only to Wills and Probate Law.  In fact, there are special courts and judges just for probate.

The Collin County probate court process starts with a consultation with the attorney.  The attorney will gather information from you and discuss the steps involved with probate.  Then, the attorney will file the necessary paperwork at the  Collin County Probate Court and schedule a hearing at the probate court.

At the hearing, generally, the attorney will ask the client a series of simple questions in front of the probate judge.  After this brief hearing, the court gives the client a document called “letters testamentary,” which gives the client the legal authority to handle the decedent’s property.

Who Hires the Attorney and Handles the Probate Process?

If the deceased family member left behind a last will and testament, the person named as the executor (or “executrix”) is the go-to person for the estate.  The executor is the person who usually attends the hearing at the Collin County Probate Court with the lawyer and the person who receives the letters testamentary from the court.

If the family member did not leave a will, the process is very similar.  However, if the decedent died without a will, the probate attorney will have to take a few extra steps  as part of the process.  These extra steps generally mean that the attorney fees and probate court costs will be higher in the absence of a will.

Can You Avoid Probate?

Avoiding probate is fairly common in Collin County, TX.  There are several probate alternatives that may be available in your situation.  Some of these probate alternatives are cheaper and faster than traditional probate.  However, probate alternatives are not available or recommended in every situation.  When you meet at the Collin County probate law office, the attorney will suggest methods you might be able to use to avoid probate, including:

  • Small Estate Affidavit
  • Affidavit of Heirship
  • Muniment of Title
  • Probate with Order of No Administration
  • The lawyer may even advise that you don’t need to do anything at all, especially if the estate is insolvent.

How Long Does it Take to Handle a Deceased Individual’s Affairs?

Depending on how much property the decedent owned and how much debt was owed, the process can take anywhere from two weeks to two years!  Most often, from the time you hire the attorney to the time all the property has been distributed to the beneficiaries, it’s going to take between two months and a year.  The process can be finished more quickly if the executor is fast to accomplish the required tasks.

How Much Does it Cost to Handle an Estate Start to Finish?

The probate process is usually less expensive if you die with a will that is valid under Texas law.  The Collin County Probate cost is usually less than most people expect.  If the decedent left behind a will, the attorney fees generally start at around $1,000, and the probate court costs will be a minimum of about $300.

If the decedent died without a will (or a will that was not signed properly), the probate attorney fees will generally start at around $1,500, and the required Collin County Probate Court fees and expenses will exceed $900.

If the deceased person didn’t own much property and didn’t have much debt, the estate may qualify for a small estate affidavit.  The small estate affidavit is a document filed with the Collin County Probate Court, and it can cost as little as $500 for attorney fees (plus Collin County probate court filing fee).

Typically, the estate pays the attorney fees and court costs, not the executor.  The executor shouldn’t have to pay out of his/her own pocket for these costs; in fact, some wills even say that the executor should get paid “reasonable compensation” from the estate in exchange for working with the probate lawyer, attending the Dallas probate court hearing, and otherwise handling the decedent’s financial affairs.

If your Husband or Wife died, Mom died, Dad died, or brother or sister died, schedule a free consultation with Collin County probate attorney Isaac Shutt.  Call (214) 302-8197 or use the online form to contact Mr. Shutt.  A lawyer dedicated to Probate Law in Texas can help you with each step of the probate procedure or help you find an affordable probate alternative.

Shutt Law Firm is conveniently located in Richardson, TX, near the intersection of highway 75 and Campbell Road.

 Mr. Shutt is a Texas probate lawyer dedicated to this area of Texas law.  Schedule a free consultation to discuss probate alternatives, the steps involved in the probate process, and how simple Collin County probate can be.

Collin County Probate Court serves many residents of Plano, TX, McKinney, TX, Allen, TX, Richardson, TX, Frisco, TX, Wylie, TX, and surrounding smaller towns. As such, contact Shutt Law Firm, PLLC, if you would like to schedule a consultation with a McKinney probate attorney, Allen probate attorney, Plano probate attorney, Frisco probate attorney, Wylie probate attorney, or Richardson probate attorney.