Probate

We help families work through the probate process when a loved one passes away. Probate is a court proceeding that is necessary when a person dies owning more than $50,000 of assets in his or her own name (as opposed to jointly owned assets or assets with beneficiary designations, such as life insurance, IRA’s, 401k’s, etc.). Attorney Paul Heckt has advanced education in estate planning and many years of experience with the probate process.

We will:

Help the family determine who will be the personal representative ("PR").
Help the PR decide to proceed formally or informally, supervised or unsupervised.
Draft all documents for the PR to sign.
Prepare the witnesses for testifying.
Help the PR collect assets, pay bills, pay lawful claims, prepare accounting, and distribute assets per the will or state law.

You don't have to pay an arm and a leg to probate your loved one's estate. Just because some large downtown law firms overcharge does not mean all attorneys do that. If you want to pay extra for walnut paneling and fancy artwork, then, by all means, go downtown. But if you want quick and affordable probate services, call Paul. To keep our costs down we provide a team approach utilizing an attorney, paralegal and support staff, plus outside associates, such as accountants, as needed.

Customer quote:

“My family worked with Paul when my mother died suddenly in 2001 without a will. He explained things in plain English so we could understand what had to be done to get my mother’s estate through the courts. Prior to any court appearance he explained to me, my husband and siblings what he was doing and why. He was very caring and helped us through the whole process.”

Mary Moreno Lien, Probate Client, Bloomington, MN