Frequently, a person making a will selects a family member or close friend to act as executor of his/her estate. The executor handles all the legal and financial details of seeing the estate through probate. Since the executor is often someone with limited knowledge of the relevant state laws regarding estate handling, a probate attorney can offer invaluable guidance. A lawyer can assist in filing paperwork, mailing notices on time, advising the executor during probate hearings, and gathering information about assets and debts.

In addition, an experienced estate lawyer will know how to go about collecting the life insurance payout and transferring retirement funds to the appropriate beneficiary. The lawyer can deal with appraising real estate and other assets that may need to be sold during probate to satisfy debts or the terms of the will. The probate attorney is paid out of the funds in the estate, so the executor does not have to foot the bill for these services. Since an executor can be held liable by the heirs for improperly handling an estate, hiring a lawyer to go over the details is always a smart move.