Probate provides the necessary comfort to everyone involved in the Estate that there is a valid Will and as to the proper distribution of assets.
Probate is a process where assets are transferred from someone who has died to the beneficiaries in that person’s Will. Probate involves proving that there is a valid Will. If there is no Will or the Will is incomplete, Probate involves proving who the legal beneficiaries to the Estate are.
Why go through Probate?
Usually, you are required to go through the Probate process in instances in which Land is involved (other than in joint tenancy). In addition, banks and other financial institutions often require you to go through Probate to provide them with the assurance that the Will is valid.
Probate is not always necessary. For small, straightforward estates, an experienced Estate Solicitor can guide you.
The Law Society of Alberta provides guidelines for probate lawyers services, which consist of a base fee and an estate value fee based on a percentage of the estate value. These guidelines are not mandatory, notwithstanding they are used by many lawyers.
We feel we can provide you with better value by not charging a percentage of the value of the Estate.
Our practice is to fairly value our time based on the complexity of the Estate and structure our fees based on the specific services that we provide, rather than a percentage of the value of the Estate. In many cases our fees are significantly lower than the suggested guidelines.
Contact us today for a free half hour consultation.
