Probate

Turning Point Legal, PC helps prepare your family if you become incapacitated and when you die. We guide you through probate and trust administration, depending on what type of planning you’ve put in place. If you have an estate plan, we ensure that the instructions in your will and trust are followed.

A will may not be enough to keep your family out of probate. They may have to wait for the court to administer your estate and distribute assets to your heirs. Most people want to avoid probate because it’s public, time-consuming, and can be expensive. Our experienced probate attorneys will support and guide you through the process as efficiently as possible.

We can guide your successor trustees, personal representatives, or executors through the administrative responsibilities of handling an estate once you’ve passed away through tasks such as:

• Gathering, protecting, and managing assets
• Filing all appropriate tax returns
• Paying creditors
• Creating sub-trusts as instructed
• Collecting death benefits
• Dissolving trusts
• Handling disclaimers
• Distributing assets to beneficiaries or sub-trusts
• Making sound decisions during an emotional time

If you pass away or become incapacitated without an estate plan, Turning Point Legal, PC can still provide guidance and support your family as they navigate the necessary intestacy and probate proceedings in the state of Alabama.

Guardianships & Conservatorships for Probate While You Are Living

It’s essential to prepare for the possibility of incapacitation during your lifetime. We also use trusts and powers of attorney to avoid probate while you are living. You definitely need a power of attorney and may need a trust with disability provisions so your loved ones won’t have to seek an emergency order from the court or request a guardianship or conservatorship proceeding in court. A judge may or may not select the person you would choose to manage assets on your behalf. Sometimes an attorney is selected, rather than a family member you trust, to act as guardian/conservator if you become incapacitated. Having a power of attorney in place allows you to have a voice in who will handle your affairs in the event you are incapacitated.

For years Laura and Norma have graced the halls of the probate court and spent many hours assisting their clients, persons appointed to them by the court, or persons deemed in need of protection under Alabama law.

Norma and Laura have served as Guardian ad litem or Court Representative in many court actions. Due to their experience with applying for Medicaid in the event of nursing home care, they are often called on by local judges and other attorneys in the area to assist in this area of law.

Just like the probate process after death, you lose considerable control over your assets during an expensive, public, time-consuming, and stressful guardianship or conservatorship proceeding. Our firm can help you avoid it. However, should your family find themselves struggling with probate while you are living, we can still help them navigate the guardianship process more smoothly and with a better outcome.

Attorneys Laura and Norma have assembled a team with extensive knowledge in helping families protect valuable assets in the state of Alabama. Each guides you to the right elder law and estate planning solutions, including special needs planning, Medicaid qualification, long-term care planning, and estate administration.

Contact us to learn more about our probate services in Alabama.