If you’ve already scheduled a probate or trust settlement consultation with our office, this article will help you prepare and get the most out of our meeting. If you haven’t scheduled yet, this will help you understand what to expect when you do schedule.
Who Should Attend
If the decedent left a will or trust, the document will name an estate administrator. In a will, that person is called a personal representative. In old wills, the person may be called an executor or executrix. In a trust, that person is called a trustee. We always want that person present for the meeting. If they are unable to take on the job or would prefer not to serve, the alternate trustee named in the document should be present.
If there is no will, the decedent’s children or (if there are no children) closest relatives who are potentially willing to assist in the settlement should attend.
Whether to include additional family members is a judgment call for the named administrator. In some families, including all of the decedent’s children is a helpful and easy way to make sure everyone is on the same page. In other families, the family is too large to allow this, or it may not be a good idea for other reasons. Feel free to ask when you schedule about including additional family members.
Key Documents
If the decedent left a will or trust, the original will or trust document is very important and should be brought to the meeting, even if we already have a copy on file. If you have death certificates by the time of the meeting, please them with you as well. We’ll typically take one or two for our file.
We will also ask about what accounts and other assets the decedent owned. Putting together a simple handwritten list of accounts can be a helpful way to prepare. If you have recent statements for any accounts, bring them with you. If there are bills, bring those as well. Finally, if you have any other paperwork that you have questions about, bring it with you as well.
contact information
We will also will need contact information for the people involved in the settlement process. This means all beneficiaries who are included in any way in the decedent’s will or trust document. If the decedent left a will (or no will), we will also need contact information for the decedent’s closest family members, even if they are not included in the will. If you have questions about who these people are, feel free to wait to gather this information until after you meet with us. Contact information should be full name with middle initial (i.e. John A. Smith), mailing address, phone number, and email (if they have it).
Don’t Worry
It’s just fine if you don’t have everything on this list. Bring what you have and the people available. We’ll work with you to learn as much as we can, make a list of what we still need, and work out next steps. The goal is progress, not perfection, and meeting with us is a great first step.
We will look forward to meeting with you. If you have not yet scheduled, please call the office at (715) 544.8393 to schedule a no obligation consultation.