Bringing the following documents and information to your initial consultation will help us give you more accurate estimates of the steps and timeline best suited to administration of the estate you will oversee.

Bring as many of these documents as you have:

• The Last Will & any codicils (amendments) thereto
• The Trust & any amendments thereto
• The death certificate (short form)
• Copies of deeds to, or a list of the decedent’s real property which includes its location and its type of title, if known (e.g. sole ownership, tenant in common, joint tenant with right of survivorship, etc.).

We’ll need a ballpark estimate of the size of the probate estate so we can apply for the personal representative’s bond.  Later, when drafting the estate inventory, we’ll need the account statements (as close to the date of death as possible) for all of the following probate assets (i.e., assets that are solely owned by the decedent and are without pay-on-death or beneficiary designations):

• Bank accounts: checking, savings, CDs, & money market accounts
• Stocks & Bonds
• Investment Accounts
• Retirement Plans: IRA, 401(k), etc.
• Pension Plans
• Insurance Policies
• Annuities
• Business and Professional Interests

Also provide information on any debts owed to or other sources of income to the decedent (e.g. rents, royalties, or mineral leases), and documents for any safe deposit boxes.

At the initial meeting, we’ll gather information about the estate and the decedent’s wishes, answer your questions, and determine the best course of action going forward.