Getting Legal Help

If you've been appointed the executor of a loved one's estate--especially if you didn't know the job was coming--your first impulse may be to quickly turn matters over to a a lawyer, who after all has experience in these matters.  And it's true that most executors can benefit from some direction from an expert who's got lots of experience with probate in the local courts. But keep in mind that:

• Assets in the estate may not need to go through probate court at all.
• If the estate is fairly small, you may be able to used streamlined probate procedures.
• Many probate courts now good information available online and publish their own simplified fill-in-the-blanks forms. 
• Many lawyers are now willing to coach you as you wrap up an estate, answering questions as they come up.

So before you make an appointment with a lawyer, do some homework. Here, you can read about the different ways of finding, working with, and paying an attorney.