Probate Attorneys in Montgomery County, MD

Probate Lawyers Helping the People of Montgomery County During Times of Grief

Dealing with the process of dividing a loved one’s estate among heirs while you are still grieving your loss can be difficult and emotionally draining, especially when you are not sure of what the next step should be.

Our firm has helped many families in Germantown, Silver Spring, and throughout Montgomery County, Maryland, and surrounding areas navigate the probate process. Here are a few important insights on how probate works in our state and what to expect if you need to take a loved one’s estate through probate.

What Is Probate in Maryland?

Probate is a court-supervised process in which any assets in an estate that were solely in the deceased person’s name are divided among the decedent’s heirs. The court may appoint an executor (also called a personal representative) for the estate, or appoint the executor named in the decedent’s will. That person will be responsible for managing the estate assets, handling all tasks required to probate the estate, and closing out the estate after assets are distributed.

The probate process is necessary to ensure a decedent’s estate is divided fairly and honestly and that all debts and taxes are paid before the assets can be divided. In Maryland, the total value of assets in an estate usually determines what kind of probate you will need to select.

Estates valued under a certain threshold are considered small estates, whereas other estates with assets that exceed these values are considered regular estates. This is important to know because Maryland has a simplified probate process for small estates, which is usually shorter and requires fewer formalities than regular probate.

What Are the Steps to Probating a Loved One’s Estate?

The probate process begins right after the person who owns the estate passes away. If that person left a will, the will must be registered with the Maryland Register of Wills shortly after the death.

Next, the individual appointed as the estate’s personal representative may file a petition with the court to probate the estate and determine whether the estate is small and may proceed through simplified probate or requires regular probate. After receiving a letter of administration from the court, the personal representative now has the authority to act on behalf of the estate.

The personal representative may be required to file legal documents called a list of interested persons with the Register of Wills. As the name says, this is a list that contains the names and addresses of the decedent’s heirs. This document is usually filed along with the will for small estates and should be filed within a certain deadline for regular estates.

The next few steps require making an inventory of the decedent’s assets and sorting which assets were solely in the decedent’s name and which had a beneficiary designation or were not solely in the decedent’s name.

Then, any creditors who may have a claim against the estate may come forward, but they should observe the 6-month deadline for making a claim. The last step before all assets can be distributed is filing a final account. Depending on the complexity of the estate, the personal representative may want to recruit the help of professionals such as an accountant, a financial or tax expert, and a probate attorney.

Do All Assets Need to Go Through Probate?

Not all assets in an estate need to be probated before being transferred to the right beneficiary. In many cases, only the assets that were solely in the decedent’s name may require probate. For example, if your loved one had a bank account solely in his or her name, the bank will not transfer ownership of that account until the probate court assigns a personal representative to the estate, and most likely, the money in that account will need to go through probate before being distributed.

However, if the bank account is in both the decedent’s name and a spouse’s name (e.g., a joint account), the account may automatically go to the surviving spouse, usually without needing to be probated.

Other examples of assets that usually stay out of probate and are transferred to beneficiaries directly include life insurance, pensions, annuities, accounts, assets with a transfer-on-death designation, and assets placed in a living trust.

In fact, many people find it beneficial to place a large percentage of their assets in a living trust with the purpose of avoiding probate. A Maryland probate attorney may be able to advise you on what assets need to be probated in your loved one’s estate, and whether a living trust is the right choice for your estate.

What Are the Specific Monetary Limits for a Small Estate in Maryland?

While most estates must go through the probate process before assets can be distributed to the heirs of the estate, certain “small” estates can skirt the court process. In Maryland, an estate is considered small if the value of all the assets is below a certain threshold. Those thresholds usually look like this:

• $50,000 or less for most estates
• $100,000 or less if the surviving spouse is the sole heir

Value is based on the fair market value of the decedent’s property at the time of their death. Taking the small estate route can considerably ease the burden of the probate process. However, there are still timelines to follow, and you will still be required to inform creditors and repay them from the estate’s assets. Find out how we can help you determine whether or not your loved one’s estate qualifies as a small estate, and which steps you have to follow, by calling our office today.

What Happens If Your Spouse Left You Out of Their Will?

In Maryland, you cannot legally disinherit a spouse. If a surviving spouse is left out of a will, or they are left an amount smaller than what the law allows, they can elect against the estate to claim their statutory share. This minimum out is dependent on whether or not the decedent had children or other descendants.

A surviving spouse can push for up to one-third of the estate if there are surviving descendants, and half of the estate if there are no surviving dependents.

Does your estate planning ensure your assets will go to whom you want? A loose thread can see your heirs getting far less of your assets than you planned.

How Can a Maryland Probate Attorney Help?

As you can see, the probate process in Maryland is not as simple as filling out a few forms and turning them in. The entire process can take a few months if there are no disputes and everything goes smoothly. Still, cases that involve heirs fighting over their inheritance and initiating will contests may drag on for over a year.

Whether you were given the task of probating your loved one’s estate or you are thinking ahead and want to know how to plan for the future so your assets are kept out of probate, speaking to a Maryland probate attorney should be your first step. Your Maryland probate attorney can guide you through the probate process and help you avoid common yet costly probate proceedings mistakes.

At Paré & Associates, LLC, our attorneys have helped many clients and their families navigate the Maryland probate process. We know it can be overwhelming to understand how it all works and what to do next, so that you can count on our experienced Maryland probate attorney team every step of the way. Call Paré & Associates, LLC today at 240-201-2267 for our Germantown office or 301-945-7928 if you live in Silver Spring.