Maintaining Trust

The biggest challenge as an estate attorney might be maintaining trust among all of the beneficiaries through the probate administration. It’s understandable. Often, the probate administration leaves one sibling in charge. There might be some resentment about who was nominated as executor and why they were chosen. There might be some resentment because the executor was previously acting as Power of Attorney and failed to take steps to avoid probate in the first place.

I try to quell trust issues at the outset. How do I do this? I explain both the attorney’s and the executor’s responsibilities. In addition, I explain the timeline for the estate administration. It’s important for everyone to know how long everything might take.

The other key to maintaining trust is oversharing information. The estate administration might be the first time that a beneficiary has ever interacted with an attorney. They probably don’t understand the process.

Most of the county probate courts have a docket that allows the public to view the filings. Sharing the information to access to online docket allows the executor and beneficiaries to see the case progress. They can potentially see if a delay is on the part of the attorney or the court. It could be either. The executor themself might be causing the delay. Giving someone the ability to trust but verify can go a long way.

Maintaining trust among all of the beneficiaries in an estate administration should always be a priority. The decedent named someone to be in charge because that person had everyone’s best interests in mind. It was not a decision to usurp power, destroy credibility, and waste money.

If you are ready to start administering an estate with a professional who doesn’t destroy credibility, get started with me today.