Probate Attorney in the Bay Area & Oakland, California
Choose award-winning probate attorney Cynthia C. Sayegh
Law Office of Cynthia C. Sayegh
The Law Office of Cynthia C. Sayegh focuses on all areas of probate including estate planning, trust administration, and probate solutions to those facing difficult or confusing descendant estate administration. Attorney Cindy Sayegh is an award-winning probate attorney in the bay area. Cindy and her team are recognized experts in their field and can help you with the complexities of probate. Her financial and legal background will help you administer a descendant’s estate and advise on whether you need to take action in probate court.
To ensure the highest standard of health and safety, our office is set up to be completely virtual. We now serve probate and estate clients remotely throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Additional arrangements are tailored to your needs and in accordance with health related mandates. We look forward to being of service to you. Schedule an appointment today!
Probate definition.
Many people have heard the term probate used, but genuinely do not understand what probate is. The simple definition of probate is the court process used to dispose of a deceased person’s property. When a person passes away, they pass either with a will or without a will. Either way, a probate court will often need oversee the distribution of property.
What happens during probate?
Probate can be a long and drawn out process. During probate, the court either distributes property in accordance with a valid will, or if no such will exists, the court follows the intestate succession statutory scheme. Many may think that this may seem simple, but in the state of California things can get complicated. California is a community property state, which makes the distribution of an estate even more difficult to determine.
Things that Bay Area Probate Courts will consider are:
Is there a valid will?
Is there a surviving spose?
What is the value of the assets the estate has?
This is where problems usually start to show.
When probating a will, the first thing a court looks at is the validity of a will. Each state has specific requirements for an attested will ( one that is witnessed) and for a holographic will ( one that is handwritten.) These are all issues that must be solved in probate court.
Finding a valid will is only part of the problem. The issue may also arise when several wills or attempted wills are located. Even worse is when a will have been destroyed or lost. Issues can even get more complicated when dealing with a forgotten spouse or a change in the property. What happens when your loved one puts an item in their will but then sells it before their death? These and others are all probate issues you do not want to solve on your own.
Cindy and her team have spent hundreds of hours reading cases where a relative had final wishes for their property distribution, but after their death, their will was found to be invalid. Cindy has successfully represented several probate cases with favorable outcomes for the client.
When coping with the loss of a loved one, we understand that the last thing you want to do is deal with confusing legal matters. Let our probate team help you. Call (925) 945-8831 for a complimentary consultation today.
When do you need a probate attorney?
The above information is just a small portion of the complexity of probate. A probate and estate attorney has experience in navigating the waters of probate. Attempting to go it alone, especially after the loss of a loved one, can be too much. A probate and estate attorney can handle the legal side of your loved one’s estate without out you having to worry.
There are several reasons a person may need a probate lawyer. You may also be a personal representative or executor and need legal help getting through probate. You may be a beneficiary or relative who needs to contest a will or challenge the actions of a personal representative. Wills, trust, and estates are not something that can be learned about overnight. A person attempting to take on their own probate issue could find themselves up late at night trying to figure out what a codicil is, or what dependent relevant revocation means.
Cynthia can assist you in a number of ways. Whether you are planning for the future and want to avoid probate or whether you are about to start probate. The Law Office of Cynthia C. Sayegh can help you with your legal needs. Cynthia is a probate attorney bay area who can help you with your estate needs.
