Wills and probate in Caldwell

What we handle

• Wills, and updating a will after a marriage, a divorce or a birth.
• Powers of attorney, financial and medical.
• Trusts, where one is genuinely warranted.
• Probate, including administration where there was no will.
• Disputes between heirs, and challenges to a will.
• Guardianship and conservatorship for an adult who can no longer manage.

What people usually get wrong

A will does not cover everything. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and anything with a named beneficiary pass by that designation regardless of what the will says. That is how an ex-spouse ends up inheriting by accident, and it happens more often than most people expect. Reviewing the beneficiary designations is often the most valuable hour of the whole engagement.

Property held with someone else may pass by the way title is held rather than by the will. In a community property state, that is worth checking carefully.

After a death

Bring the will if there is one, a list of what the person owned and owed, and the names of everyone who might be an heir. Not every estate needs a full administration. Some qualify for a simpler process, and which one applies depends on what the estate contains.

If family members already disagree, say so at the start. It changes how the matter should be handled from the first filing rather than the fifth.