{"id":10971,"date":"2024-08-19T06:00:52","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T13:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=10971"},"modified":"2024-08-19T09:05:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T16:05:21","slug":"what-is-a-probate-attorney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-is-a-probate-attorney\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Probate Attorney and Do I Need One to Sell Estate Property?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming, and the probate process<\/a> might add to the stress. Probate is a formal legal process<\/a> that verifies the validity of a will, appoints an executor or personal representative, and oversees the distribution of the deceased’s assets to their rightful beneficiaries. This is where a probate attorney becomes essential.<\/p>\n

Probate often comes into play when dealing with real estate and property, regardless of whether the deceased had a will, explains Dennis Brislawn<\/a>, a probate attorney based in Bellevue, Washington, who also practices in Alaska and Oregon. However, some assets, like life insurance policies, are paid directly to beneficiaries and bypass probate.<\/p>\n

A probate attorney ensures that all beneficiaries, creditors, and taxes are managed correctly according to state probate laws<\/a> and timelines<\/a>. For detailed information on estate planning and probate laws by state, check FindLaw\u2019s comprehensive listings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

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\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

Work With a Top Probate Agent<\/h3>\n

Top-performing agents sell homes faster and for more money than average agents. When selling a house in probate, maximizing the home sale can best serve the estate’s interests.<\/p>\n \n

\n Find Agent<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Depending on your loved one\u2019s estate planning and your own familiarity with such matters, you might not need a probate attorney. However, you will still need to be legally authorized to handle the disposal of the property.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be listing a house that you have no authority to sell, \u201d Brislawn says. It\u2019s somewhat akin to fraud.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of issues that may or may not apply to a given case, and so understanding the context in which probate occurs is critically important.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let’s explore what a probate attorney does and when you might need one for selling estate property.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s walk through what a probate attorney does, how much they cost, and when you need one when selling estate property.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":47035,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[326,319],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inheritance","category-selling-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is a Probate Attorney and Do I Need One to Sell Estate Property?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Let\u2019s walk through what a probate attorney does, how much they cost, and when you need one when selling estate property.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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