Wills & Probate Lawyer with offices in Greenbelt, Towson and Bethesda
If you have experienced the recent death of a parent, spouse or other close family member, you may have to decide what to do about his or her estate B that is paying their bills (including the funeral services and hospital bills) and then distributing the remaining assets. If there is a house, or car or bank accounts, these assets often must be re-titled into the names of the heirs. The attorneys at The Law Office of Burch & Voss can help you through the complicated Probate process.
To set up an appointment with experienced attorneys serving the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas, contact us online or call our offices conveniently located in Bethesda, Greenbelt and Towson: at (301) 850-1882 or (443) 213-1790.
Wills and Related Documents:
If you don't have a will, most states (including Maryland) presume that you want your estate to go to your next of kin. Your next of kin is usually defined as your spouse. If you die without a will, usually all of your possessions would go to your spouse. If you are not married, then your estate would go to your children, if you have any living. If you have no children, then your parents (or grandchildren), followed by your brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. would follow as your presumed beneficiaries. Finally, if you have no living relatives your estate would go to the state. If you don't want your estate to be inherited in this progression, then you should have a Will.
Also, if you have children is it a good idea to designate a Guardian (the person who will look after your children and their inheritance if you and the other parent die). If you have specific gifts, these should also be stated in a Will. Finally, having a valid Will shortens the time required to settle the estate and generally costs less than the fees for state involvement.
POWERS OF ATTORNEY: What are they and do I need them?
We draft two powers of attorney ("POA's") as part of our Will package. A Medical POA and a General POA, both of which become effective only if you become incapacitated. In other words, if you are unable to made decisions for yourself even due to a temporary condition someone will have to make those decisions for you. The Medical and General POA's allow you to designate someone to make these decisions for you if you are ever unable to make them for yourself.
These can be extremely important! If you become incapacitated, someone will have to make important decisions on your behalf. Without designating a person via a Power of Attorney to make decisions for you, your next of kin, or friend, or whoever, would have to petition the court to be appointed as your Guardian. This can be a time-consuming and expensive process in which the court tries to determine who it is you would chosen to make decisions for you if you had a valid power of attorney. The powers of attorney avoid this hassle.
Our Probate Practice:
If you have experienced the recent death of a parent, spouse or other close family member, you may have to decide what to do about his or her estate. For example, paying their bills (including the funeral services and hospital bills) and then distributing the remaining assets. If there is a house, or car or bank accounts, these assets often must be re‑titled into the names of the heirs. The attorneys at The Law Office of Burch & Voss can help you through the complicated Probate process.
Probate is the legal process by which a person's debts are paid and assets are distributed at death to his or her heirs. Sometimes there is a will, but often there is no will. Many probate matters are resolved without litigation. However, there are times when disputes arise during probate. The Law Office of Burch & Voss can represent you whether you have a contested will or probate case, or a simple and uncontested will or probate matter.
When a deceased person's Last Will and Testament is offered for probate, there are legal requirements that must be followed. For example, potential creditors and heirs have that must be accommodated; including the right to have notice of the proceedings through publication. Also, family members may contest the will distribution.
In Maryland and D.C., probate litigation is one of the most hotly-contested areas of the law. The Law Office of Burch & Voss has attorneys who are experienced in the probate process and probate litigation who can help you achieve a positive outcome. We look to avoid controversy wherever possible but we are experienced trial lawyers who can represent your interests in court, if necessary.
Probate litigation is the concept of challenging: the contents of the Last Will and Testament; a provision of the Will; the appointment of an Executor or Personal Administrator, or the entire document itself. The attorneys at The Law Office of Burch & Voss can help you if you find yourself in this position. We have offices convenient located in Montgomery (Bethesda), Prince George's (Greenbelt) and Baltimore Counties (Towson).
Contact the Law Offices of Burch & Voss
To set up an appointment with experienced attorneys serving the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas, contact us online or call our offices conveniently located in Bethesda, Greenbelt and Towson: at (301) 850-1882 or (443) 213-1790. We provide a free initial consultation in all wills and probate law. Our lawyers are available to meet with you weekends or evenings upon request. All major credit cards are accepted.
