Get Help With Your Washington Probate Needs | DIY Probate in WA State

Time 2021-06-16 09:33:25

Web Name: Get Help With Your Washington Probate Needs | DIY Probate in WA State

WebSite: http://www.wa-probate.com

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How to Probate a Washington Descendant's Estate ---To "Do It Yourself" without a LawyerDetermine What Does (and Does NOT) Need To Be DoneSomeone (the “Decedent”) has died and you believe something legal needs to be done as a result of the Decedent’s death. Here’s a summary of what may or does need to be done and why. 2DETERMINE IF PROBATE IS NEEDED, OR NOTProbate in Washington is entirely discretionary, and probably only a few percent of deaths in Washington result in a probate being filed. This page describes why you may, or may not, want to file probate. 3Determine What Does (and Does NOT) Need To Be DoneSomeone (the “Decedent”) has died and you believe something legal needs to be done as a result of the Decedent’s death. Here’s a summary of what may or does need to be done and why. 4DETERMINE IF PROBATE IS NEEDED, OR NOTProbate in Washington is entirely discretionary, and probably only a few percent of deaths in Washington result in a probate being filed. This page describes why you may, or may not, want to file probate.How to Probate a Washington Decedent’s EstateFor named, proposed, or acting Personal RepresentativesWHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PROBATE?Probate is the legal process through which assets pass from the deceased person (decedent) to their beneficiaries after death. Probate allows the personal representative of the decedent, often a spouse or other close family member, to:Probate often prevents problems that lead to contesting of a will, because it allows court supervision of the estate distribution process and ensures that everything is done legally and properly. In addition, Washington State has one of the simplest probate systems in the nation and can save time and money because:It allows the personal representative to act with authority and without court intervention on nearly all matters.Attorney fees are not based on a percentage of the value of the estate.Real property titled in their name only, orPersonal property valued at over $100,000 in their name only.Small Estate Affidavit: For transferring up to $100,000 of Decedent’s personal property without Court involvementAdjudication Proceeding: For determining “Who Gets What” from an estate; no PR appointedNonintervention Probate “for Dummies : Simplified instructions forms for typical estatesNonintervention Probate – Detailed: Opening | Administering | ClosingAdministering Nonprobate Assets: Joint tenancy accounts, CPAs, IRAs, etc.; Handling Nonprobate Creditors ClaimsAn Insolvent Estate: Insufficient assets to pay Decedent’s debtsAn Intestate WardWHEN CAN A PROBATE CASE BE CLOSED?A probate case can be closed after the personal representative has paid all debts and taxes and distributed all assets to beneficiaries. All heirs and beneficiaries must sign a Receipt and Waiver document, or the personal representative must file more notices and documents. When the process is completed, the personal representative must formally request the court to close the probate case. DIY ProbateNeed More Help?Probate is not mandatory in Washington State, but in the majority of cases it is beneficial to file for probate, even if you do not need to. This is because complex estate issues arise frequently, and most people are not equipped to handle them without the assistance that probate provides. During probate, the court will oversee the process of administering an estate by collecting assets, settling debts, and making distributions to family members, and it can resolve any disputes. You should always file probate if the estate is more than $100,000 or if there is real property that cannot be transferred any other way.How Do I Determine Whether a Probate (or Guardianship) for a Named Decedent (or Incapacitated Person) Has Been Filed in Washington?There are several ways to find out whether probate has been filed in Washington. You can:File a Washington superior courts case search online by entering Case Type: Probate/Guardianship.Call the Superior Court Clerk’s Office of your county and ask. In King’s county the number is 206 296-9300.Go down to your county Clerk’s office in person and search on their computers under “Search for Case Numbers from 1979 – Present (SCOMIS).”Go to WaCourtsOnline.com, where you can perform a statewide, one-name, SCOMIS search for $8.95.Searches are limited to the data available on SCOMIS, and documents that have been ordered “sealed” are not available.How Can I Obtain a Copy of a Document, such as a Will, Filed in a Probate or Guardianship Proceeding in Washington?In person by going to the Clerk’s office at your county courthouse. In King’s County, you can enter the probate case number on an “Electronic Court Record” ECR computer that lists documents filed in the case and order a plain or certified copy of unsealed documents.By mail, by writing your county Superior Court Clerk’s Office and enclosing a self-addressed stamped envelope with a check for $25.By private attorney service for a fee, if you need copies within a day. Some King County services are: NW Legal Support, Inc.; Attorney’s Information Bureau.What Payment of Compensation Goes to the Personal Representative and/or His/Her Attorney?The amount set by the Decedent in the will orIf there is no specified amount, the amount determined by the Court to be “reasonable and just.”If the Decedent sets an amount for compensation, the named Personal Representative may elect either:Default Alternative: To accept that amount as full compensation regardless of the amount of work to be performed, orActive Alternative: To renounce that amount in writing prior to being appointed and allow the Court to determine “reasonable and just” compensation.The Personal Representative can also waive compensation.Living Trusts – creates a trust document for your assets that will transfer to beneficiaries after death.Joint Ownership –with right of survivorship, allows the surviving owner to automatically own the property.Community Property Agreements when one spouse dies, their property is converted to community property and passes to the survivor.Payable-on-Death – designations on bank accounts allow beneficiaries to claim the money directly from the bank after death.Transfer-on-Death Registration for Securities allows beneficiaries to inherit the account automatically at your death.Transfer-on-Death Deeds for Real Estate lets you sign and record the deed now, but your named beneficiary has no rights until your death. VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“My dad passed away recently and his estate is just north of the small estate amount. I am doing the probate myself and your web site is an amazing resource. I’ve filed my initial petitions without a hitch and expect the rest to go as you’ve described. Thank you so very much for taking the time and effort to put the site together; it is a fabulous resource for those of us who are self-helpers.” Yakima County VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“Thank you for saving me an enormous amount of aggravation and hassle. I’m getting ready to close a probate on Camano Island pretty much without any problems thanks to your great website.” Island County VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“My mother died in February and the lawyer who had drafted her will had also died. While looking for another lawyer, I began researching what it entailed to probate a will and found your amazing site. I completed the forms on a Thursday night and went down to the King County Superior Court on a Friday morning and by lunchtime I had successfully completed the process.” King County VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“My Dad died last month, and your site has provided me with a wealth of information. Even though I hired a Paralegal with a rusty background, your site has guided both of us through this uncertain territory and everything is going very well. Thank you for this service. You have made a world of difference for us. I just wanted you to know that what you are doing matters a great deal.” Kitsap County VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“My wife and I have just finished the “walk it through the court” initiation of a probate of my mother-in-law’s estate. It went very well with the help of this site. We found the people at the King County courthouse in Seattle very helpful, too. We appreciate the resource for a process that was at first daunting. Armed with information and all the needed forms from your website, we were able to conduct our business in an hour of only mild confusion rather than being totally lost and frustrated.” King County VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“My brother recently passed away leaving an intestate estate slightly in excess of $200K despite my frequent urging for a Will. Anticipating that this would occur, I had intended to handle the probate myself. Your website and some outstanding people at the King County Regional Justice Center, in Kent, were extremely helpful in allowing me to accomplish this with a minimum of lost effort. The capability to manipulate the on-line forms using a word processor was almost invaluable. Thank you very much for the tremendous effort you expended in developing the probate website.” King County (Kent) VISITOR COMMENTS ABOUT OUR WEBSITE“Thank you so very much for distributing the probate forms and basic information to help me navigate the probate path as a pro se litigant in a solvent testate estate. I have so far concluded the initial motion hearing and a second hearing to admit the Will to probate. I now have my Letters and am proceeding through the real work of fulfilling the requirements to close the probate in a few months. The real lesson I’ve learned from wa-probate.com is that I can learn the basics, and even the intermediate to advanced steps, by simply following the planned … stages of completion.” King County (Kirkland) 2021 - A Washington Non-Profit Corporation for Public Legal Education | Offering Nothing for Sale | Not affiliated with Everett Holumn, WSBA 700, or Washington Probate Services, Inc., of Tacoma, WA | Site Agreement | Site Map Attorney Website Design Services by Gladiator Marketing

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