Peoria IL Probate Attorney
- Bankruptcy law
- Family law
- Business matters
- Criminal law
If you are in need of an attorney for any legal matter related to the above areas, call us today for a free consultation. Attorney Ed Weer has been practicing law for over thirty years and is dedicated to helping the Peoria community. Contact our office to meet with a Peoria IL probate attorney to discuss your situation. Your first appointment with Ed Weer, a probate attorney in Peoria IL, can be at no charge to you. It is also confidential.
Probate Law
If the deceased does not have a will, and no one files for estate proceedings in probate court, what happens to their estate depends on the type of assets involved and if they had any debts or other financial obligations that need to be paid off. A skilled Peoria IL probate attorney such as Ed Weer can determine which legal options may be a good choice. He may also be able to assist with settling estate issues and conflicts between feuding family members.
If no one ends up filing for court proceedings, the entire property, or at least some of it, may be lost. The lender may have to foreclose on the home if there is a mortgage that still needs to be paid off. There may not be anyone working to settle the estate and resolve any outstanding issues. Valuable items such as vehicles or heirlooms may also be lost or damaged if no one is looking after the assets and no family member has taken any legal action regarding the estate. A Peoria IL probate attorney can help resolve any number of issues related to the probate process or settling the estate. For instance, attorney Ed Weer can help determine if a vehicle is considered abandoned property, and if so, what must be done to remove it from the property.
The probate process in Illinois is a legal proceeding that settles all legal issues related to a decedent’s estate. Probate can be initiated by an executor who is nominated by the decedent in a will, and appointed by the court. Their responsibilities can include:
- Gather and document the decedent’s assets.
- Pay the decedent’s debts and final expenses.
- Distribute the decedent’s property to those who are named in the will or who are otherwise entitled to receive the property by law.
If the decedent did not have a will at the time of his or her death, then a person can be appointed as the administrator by filing a petition with the court and the court’s approval. An administrator can perform much the same functions as an executor: gather assets, pay debts and final expenses, and distribute property to those who are entitled to receive it by law. Because the decedent did not leave a will, the law of intestacy states who and how the administrator is to distribute property belonging to the decedent at the time of his or her death.
“Peoria residents need will lawyers who understand the complex probate law.”
Probate proceedings can range from very simple administration to very complex. The reasons for how or why a Probate proceeding may be more complex are many and varied. Examples may include an unhappy heir, or child, who believes that he or she did not receive a fair share of a parent’s or other relative’s estate. Other issues may involve those who take unfair advantage of an elderly person before his or her death, and exerts undue influence over the elderly person so that he or she writes his or her will in a manner that does not truly reflect their true intentions. Still other reasons may involve poor planning on the part of the decedent before his or her death.
The attorneys at Smith & Weer, P.C. can provide you with a Peoria IL probate attorney, and have more than 35 years of handling Probate estates. Some of these Probates are of the more complex nature as mentioned above. The objective of Smith & Weer, P.C. is to expedite the handling of estate matters, to settle the estate, and to distribute the estate’s property to the proper beneficiaries in a timely and cost-effective way.
Contact a Peoria IL Probate Lawyer Today
Contact a Peoria IL probate attorney at Smith & Weer today. We understand the hardships, financial strain, and stress a legal matter can cause and we make every effort to help you receive the outcome you desire. Probate cases can put a strain on families and even cause division amongst closest members. We can try to make this process as smooth and easy as possible for you. Attorney Ed Weer is thoroughly familiar with probate law and understands what can be done to conclude the process as expeditiously as possible.
Smith & Weer, P.C. can provide you with a Peoria IL probate attorney who can represent your best interests. The sooner you contact our office, the sooner we can get started on your case if you decide to move forward with resolving the probate issues with which you are concerned.
We look forward to hearing from you and to helping you in any way we can. A Peoria IL probate attorney from our legal firm can address your questions and concerns; call Smith & Weer today at (309) 347-4300 for a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your probate matter.
How can we help you? Contact us for a free consultation. We’ll answer all your questions, and explain your options. There is no obligation.
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Very professional, walked us through our case, did everything they said they would do. Got us a very satisfying outcome in our favor. I reccomend if you have a case and need someone to stand for you, call Smith and Were.
Professional, knowledgeable, accessible, and friendly! I’ve worked with Ed quite a bit, and he’s genuinely interested in doing whatever he can do to help people. I would highly recommend him.
The attorneys are very skilled at what they do.
Attorney Ed Weer
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