Probate Attorney in El Cajon, California

Find the right Probate Attorney attorney in El Cajon, CA

In El Cajon, California, probate is the process through which a Court determines if a will is valid or not.

As part of this process, the El Cajon, California probate court will determine the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, and then, finally, distribute the estate according to the will, assuming it is found to be valid.

Most wills name a specific person as the executor of the estate, but sometimes they don't, or the named executor is dead, out of the court's jurisdiction, or otherwise unfit to serve in this capacity. In these cases, an El Cajon, California probate court has to appoint one.

Because the executor is responsible for truly initiating probate proceedings and seeing them to completion, the person chosen for this role is often the one who stands to inherit the most from the will - giving them an incentive to put in the necessary time and effort.

Duties of the Executor in El Cajon, California

The executor has many duties concerning the will. First, they have to truly initiate the probate proceedings, which must be completed before the will is effectuated.

The executor also has to give those with a direct interest in the will notice that the decedent has died, by filing an official death certificate.

Because people who stand to inherit from the testator may be scattered around the country, or even the world, contacting them is sometimes difficult. One of the responsibilities of the executor is to collect a list of everyone who is entitled to inherit from the decedent, so attempts to contact them can be made. They additionally have to account for all the testator's debts and assets.

Because the executor serves as the living embodiment of the decedent's estate, they are solely responsible for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are typically chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to completion.

How Can A El Cajon, California Lawyer Help?

Because this process can be fairly intricate, it is not a bad idea to consult with a knowledgeable probate lawyer in El Cajon, California, especially if you find yourself as the executor of an estate and don't know how to proceed.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in El Cajon

El Cajon, California is a city in San Diego County. It has a population of just under 100,000 people.

El Cajon, California was formed from a land grant from the Mexican government in 1845, and was officially incorporated as a city in 1912.

El Cajon is located inland from San Diego, and as a result, its climate has more variation than San Diego from one extreme to another, but compared to most other places, its climate can be considered quite mild. Summers in El Cajon, California are quite warm, though it rarely gets extremely hot.

Like most places in California, El Cajon sports a large amount of ethnic and religious diversity. El Cajon, California is also home to a burgeoning art and culture district, including art galleries, and a strong commitment to public art.

If you are facing a legal issue in El Cajon, California, chances are good that there is a lawyer nearby who is capable of handling your problem, whatever it might be. El Cajon, California lawyers are always ready to meet the legal needs of their community. If you have any legal trouble whatsoever, no case is too big or too small for an El Cajon attorney.

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