Arkansas probate and trust administration can be challenging to navigate alone. Our experienced Arkansas probate attorneys can help you or a loved one during the probate and trust administration process.
Mark Twain once said, “You don’t know a man until you divide an estate with him.” Unfortunately, the probate process has not gotten much better in the past 100 years. The average probate lasts 7-14 months, and we have seen our fair share of families destroyed through probate.
The McClelland Law Firm ADVANTAGE. One way we provide superior service is through our Arkansas Probate Video Series. During the long probate process, we send you specific videos that explain each step of the process. It’s just our way of making probate as smooth as possible for each family.
What is the Arkansas Probate Process?
Probate is a court-supervised process to distribute assets to beneficiaries after your or a loved one’s death. Any assets owned in your name or made payable to your estate will go through probate in White County, Pulaski County, Saline County, or surrounding counties, depending on where you live. Whether you need a probate attorney in Little Rock, AR, or a probate attorney in Searcy, AR, we have attorneys who are familiar with the specific court systems in your area.
Arkansas probate oversees the estate administration process to:
- Follow the instructions of a last will
- Administer an estate without a last will
- Resolve title issues on assets and real property
- Access and collect accounts without a beneficiary
- Pay the final debts (credit cards, taxes, etc.) of the decedent
By aligning asset ownership, you can avoid probate. Our estate planning law firm and Arkansas probate attorneys can recommend creating a trust and transferring assets in the name of your trust. We also look at alternatives like joint tenants with the right of survivorship and designating beneficiaries for other investments (life insurance, annuity, retirement account) to bypass the probate process in Arkansas.
Understanding Arkansas Trust Administration
If you have implemented a trust-based plan in Arkansas, McClelland Law Firm, P.A. has probate attorneys to provide various levels of trust administration services for those living in Searcy, Benton, Sherwood, Little Rock, AR, and surrounding areas. Our trust administration lawyers can help guide a loved one through trust settlement while adhering to your instructions outlined in the estate plan.
Our White County, Pulaski County, and Saline County law firm can assist your trusted appointees, such as successor trustees and executors, in understanding their duties and guiding them in decisions.
Some duties include:
- Gathering, protecting, and managing assets
- Filing all appropriate tax returns
- Paying legitimate bills
- Creating sub-trusts
- Collecting death benefits
- Dissolving trusts; considering disclaimers
- Distributing assets to beneficiaries’ sub-trusts
When working with an Arkansas estate planning attorney at McClelland Law Firm, P.A., rest assured that your loved ones are not alone. We are there to guide and support them to make sure your instructions and the law are correctly followed. Our goal is to provide your loved ones with peace of mind when handling the trust administration process.
Work with an Experienced Arkansas Probate Lawyer and Trust Administration Attorney
Our estate planning law firm’s policy is to avoid probate if possible. We have an expert Arkansas probate lawyer and paralegal dedicated to probate to make sure your case keeps moving forward. Each case has around 40 action items to be completed during the case. It is essential to know that there can be significant differences between judges in a circuit, significantly affecting your case. However, judges are not assigned until after filing your case.
McClelland Law Firm, P.A. is here to help you and your loved ones understand probate and trust administration, estate planning, Medicaid planning, crisis planning, guardianship, and elder law. Our Benton, Sherwood, and Searcy law offices welcome you to contact us and learn how we can help meet your estate planning legal matters in White County, Pulaski County, Saline County, and throughout Arkansas. Do you need a probate attorney in Little Rock, AR, or a probate attorney in Searcy, AR? We have attorneys familiar with the courts in your area.