For My Parents

My Parent Passed Away, What Should I Do?

Please accept our condolences on the passing of your parent. This can be a very emotional time for many families. At Hooper Law Office, we do our best to lessen the stress you may be experiencing by assisting you through the Settlement or Probate process

Powers of Attorney end at death so the first step in settling the estate is to determine who was named Trustee or Personal Representative in the Will or Trust. If there is no one named in either role, you will need to petition the court to have someone put in charge. If there is an urgent matter that needs to be dealt with, you could petition the court to be appointed as a special administration, however, the powers of the special administrator will be limited to those expressly granted by the court.

Avoid paying debts or transferring funds until after you are officially serving as the Personal Representative or Trustee and determine the value of the estate. Some actions may be taken immediately (funeral arrangements, acquiring death certificates, freezing any lines of credit) whereas most other actions should be handled only after contacting a Probate Attorney.

Learn More: Visit Our Educational Probate and Estate Settlement Page

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