Probate Lawyers Vancouver
Probate is the process of validating a will after a person has passed away. During probate, the Will’s validity is confirmed by the Supreme Court of BC. If someone passes away without a Will, this process changes to a determination of who is the most appropriate person to be appointed to administer the estate of the Deceased. Our professional Vancouver probate lawyers will assist you with this formal court process, which involves multiple complicated forms where one mistake will result in the rejection of an application, causing months of delays. A reason for rejection can be as simple as using ‘Not Applicable’ instead of ‘Nil’. Hiring an experienced, professional probate lawyer at Munro & Crawford gives you the best chance of getting the application completed correctly on the first attempt.
Estate Administration Vancouver
After an estate grant is obtained, the work required of an estate administrator includes collecting assets, selling property, closing bank accounts, filing and paying taxes and distributing the estate property. This can be a challenging task and involves a significant amount of work. After completing all of this work, the final step is to have the work of the administrator reviewed and approved by the beneficiaries of the estate, and determine appropriate compensation for the work completed by the administrator. If the beneficiaries won’t provide their approval then a court application is required to have the accounts approved by a Judge.
Estate administration covers a wide range of activities, including:
- Meeting with the executor(s)
- Obtaining a comprehensive list of the assets of the deceased
- Contacting all beneficiaries
- Preparing the necessary court application
- Post-probate matters
- Gathering of assets (collecting money on deposit in bank accounts, liquidating investments, disposing of real estate, etc.)
- Consulting with accountants to prepare and file the necessary income tax returns
- Providing on-going advice to the executor(s)
With guidance from a Munro & Crawford lawyer, the estate administration process is straightforward, and complications are avoided.
Our Difference & How We Help
At Munro & Crawford, our Vancouver estate lawyers and professional staff have extensive experience with the entire process of probate & estate administration. We understand that this is a difficult time when family members are going to be easily overwhelmed, and it is our mission to take as much of the pressure and stress off of our clients in order to let them focus on the grieving process.
We are a ‘one-stop shop’ for estate administration. As a multi-disciplinary practice, we can assist with virtually all aspects of estate administration beyond simply obtaining an estate grant. We can assist with coordinating memorial services, clearing and organizing personal possessions, obtaining appraisals for esoteric collectables (coin collections, antiques etc.), selling and transferring real estate, automobiles and financial assets, tax filings and more. We are able to help as much or as little as requested, but our clients are never left in the dark without direction or advice on how to proceed.
From helping you get started with will preparation and estate planning services, to professional estate litigation if needed, we are here for you every step of the way.
FAQs
Did the deceased omit to pre-plan their funeral or celebration of life? We have a team of experienced event planners and florists who can help. Was the deceased a hoarder? We have a moving/storage company and a cleaning company who will help itemize the deceased’s home contents and prepare the home for sale. Did the deceased own a lot of esoteric items? We have appraisers from almost every field who can quickly discern the value of items including coin and stamp collections, art and precious metals. We also have a number of accountants who are able to assist with complex tax matters that each executor must deal with when administering an estate.
