Probate Law

Probate Law Offices In Orange County CA Locations In Irvine & La Palma

The Law Offices of W. Steven Chou can handle all probate law issues with offices in Irvine and La Palma in Orange County CA.

What Is Probate?

Probate is a legal process to determine the estate of a deceased person. During this process the courts will resolve claims and the distribution of the deceased person's assets. The probate court will appoint an executor generally named in the will to make decisions related to the estate. Probate court decisions can be contested. If this is done the cost to the estate can be substantial so a well prepared estate plan, will or trust can have the estate thousands, if not millions.

Probate Attorney Services

You may want to petition or apply for probate and need legal counsel to complete the necessary paperwork when appealing for probate. Disagreements during probate proceedings happen and if you feel that the court action is needed you should consider hiring an attorney to help obtain the desired resolution. You may also want to consult an attorney to discuss tax issues related to inheritance and explore if any asset protection options are available. Litigation to remove the legal position of the executor assigned in probate can be done for many reasons. Consult to explore your options. Last Will and Testament & Living Trusts can also go into probate or be challenged.

California Probate Code

Link to California Probate Code: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov

If you require legal aid in the area of Probate in Orange County, Chou Law Offices is here to assist.

If you've recently suffered the loss of a loved one and need an attorney to assist with the probate process, we can help. At such a sensitive time, most people would rather focus on their family and grieving than the legal processes surrounding their loved one's possessions.

We can help you through the probate process with sympathy, sensitivity, knowledge and skill. In the State of California, an estate worth a combined gross value of $100,000 or more is required to be probated, regardless of whether there is a will or not. Probate is a process by which the estate of a deceased person is both validated and distributed. The probate process can be a long and costly one, and those that are unfamiliar with the entire concept often have many questions regarding this process.

The probate process not only involves the validation and distribution of an estate but also conservatorship as well. The Law Offices of W. Steven Chou offer the following probate services:

Probate Of Will

We will help our clients to probate their loved ones' wills through the courts with as little time as possible and distribute the estate assets according to the will.

Intestate Estate Administration

In the event an estate has no will but is worth over $100,000 in gross value, we can help our client to probate the estate through the court and have the estate assets according to the California Probate Code.

Small Estate Administration

If the estate is less than $100,000 in gross value, with or without a will, we can help our clients in having the small estate probated through a simpler procedure that is less time consuming and less expensive.

Probate Conservatorship Of The Person

If the need arises for you to have to seek a conservatorship of the person for a loved one to provide care to that person, we can help you to obtain the conservatorship through the court. We will prepare and file all of the necessary paperwork to have conservatorship issued in the quickest time allowed.

Probate Conservatorship Of The Estate

If the need arises for you to have to seek a conservatorship of the estate for a loved one to help that person to continue to conduct his or her business and personal affairs, we can help you to obtain the conservatorship through the court. We will prepare and file all of the necessary paperwork to have conservatorship issued in the quickest time allowed.

Will Contest

We can represent you to contest a will if you feel that the will is invalid or defective in one way or another.

Trust Litigation

We can represent you in the event you need help in a dispute regarding a term of a trust.