Santa Monica Probate Attorney

Susan B. Geffen is an experienced Santa Monica probate attorney who can work with you to create an estate plan, which is essential in order to spare your family and loved ones many painful details in the probate process. Susan is also available to walk with your family throughout the probate process, handling details and communications while they focus on grieving their loss. There are often many needs that require a compassionate legal professional, and Susan can handle those with discretion and empathy.

What is Probate?

Probate is the first step in the legal process of administering your estate after your death. It seeks to resolve all claims against your estate, such as debts and distributes your remaining assets according to your recorded wishes. In probate, the probate court legally validates your will and then grants approval for the executor to begin carrying out your wishes. After approval by the probate court, your will is enforceable in court if this becomes necessary in a dispute.

Santa Monica probate attorney Susan B. Geffen can provide valuable assistance during these proceedings. This is especially true for those who have no experience with probate matters, and if the executor is inexperienced in closing the estate of a deceased person in California.

Santa Monica Probate with a Will

Probate with a will begins with you contacting a probate attorney like Susan to open a probate case. Susan then helps your family and the designated executor of your loved one’s will through each step of carrying out your final wishes. Believe it or not, this can be a complicated process, and even the order in which you carry out a will’s provisions can be vital. She can also deal with court representatives, debtors, creditors, beneficiaries and others, as well as creating any necessary legal documents.

Santa Monica probate attorney Susan B. Geffen can make this process smoother so your family can focus on dealing with grief over their tragic loss. The many details and communications necessary may even be new territory for the executor, and Susan can help make the process much easier for everyone concerned. With over 30 years of experience in these matters, she will prove to be of infinite value to your family.

Santa Monica Probate When There Isn’t a Will

For loved ones who die without a will, or intestate, the probate process is more complicated. You will now be dealing with a designated representative of the probate court, who will be assigned the task of handling your loved one’s affairs according to state law. Unfortunately, since your loved one’s final wishes were not drafted in a legal will, there is no way of knowing them. The representative will follow the law when distributing your loved one’s assets and otherwise handling his or her affairs.

Susan can now become your family’s legal representative who works with the court-appointed estate administrator to handle your assets and other affairs. There will be numerous legal considerations, and likely some difficulties obtaining your loved one’s assets. Santa Monica probate attorney Susan Geffen will use her over 30 years of probate experience to advocate for your family, pursuing both your interests and your loved one’s best interests throughout the probate process.

Avoid Probate Problems in Santa Monica

You can avoid troublesome probate problems by creating a will and keeping it up-to-date. Life circumstances often change, and this means your will must change, too. Common changes that demand a change to your will include:

• Divorce
• Remarriage
• Death of a spouse
• Birth of children
• Death of children
• Gaining assets
• Losing assets
• Changes with debt

Any changes in your life circumstances should be reflected in your will to prevent future problems with probate. Susan recommends that everyone review their will at least once a year and any time a major change occurs. If you live in the Santa Monica area, contact her office today to create or review your will.