PROBATE AND TRUST ADMINISTRATION

For as long as our firm has been preparing estate planning for our clients, we have also been handling their probate and trust administration needs in the West Bend, Washington County, and Southeast Wisconsin areas.  As essential as it is to plan during one’s lifetime, it is also essential to have proper direction as a successor Trustee or Personal Representative of an estate to ensure that your loved one’s wishes are carried out as planned.  Whether your loved one had a Will, Trust, beneficiary designations, or even no planning at all, Schloemer Law Firm will assist you as Trustee or Personal Representative and walk you through the probate or Trust administration process.  

WISCONSIN PROBATE AND TRUST ADMINISTRATION SERVICES FROM SCHLOEMER LAW FIRM

As the Personal Representative (commonly referred to in some states as the Executor or Administrator) or successor Trustee of an Estate, you can rely on Schloemer Law Firm to walk you through the steps necessary to complete the Trust or probate administration and fulfill your fiduciary duty to the beneficiaries.  Some of those steps include the following:

  • Preparing and filing initial probate documents
  • Sending notices to beneficiaries
  • Obtaining Federal tax identification number for the Estate
  • Publishing Notice to creditors
  • Assisting in the preparation and filing of the Inventory / Final Accounting
  • Preparing Receipts and/or Waivers
  • Preparation and filing of the final income tax return

SERVING AS PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE / TRUSTEE WITH SCHLOEMER LAW FIRM

Every Estate administration is different, depending on the number and age of beneficiaries, the location of the beneficiaries, the type of assets, the amount of those assets involved, and the type of planning (if any) in place by the decedent.  Our probate and Trust administration attorneys work with you and use their experience to identify which assets may be subject to probate or which assets may be distributed through beneficiary designation or through a Trust administration.  They will also help determine whether formal probate or informal probate may be necessary.  After the initial identification of assets, they will work with you to complete your duties as Personal Representative or successor Trustee from start to finish.  

WILL OR ESTATE CONTESTS

Unfortunately, sometimes a beneficiary will need to contest a Will or a Trust or bring an action against a Trustee or Personal Representative for breach of fiduciary duties. If you find yourself in a contested situation with a Will or Trust in Wisconsin, our experienced trust and estate attorneys can assist you through the process and make sure your loved one’s wishes are carried out.  In Wisconsin, possible reasons to bring an action can include:

  • Will or Trust does not comply with legal requirements, such as witnesses or notaries
  • Existence of undue influence, fraud, or duress
  • Testator or settlor lacked the mental capacity to execute legal documents
  • Personal Representative or Trustee has breached fiduciary duties

If you are in need of assistance in the administration of a Trust or probate estate in West Bend, Washington County, or — depending on the circumstances — throughout Wisconsin, contact Schloemer Law Firm to discuss the next steps.

Isaiah M.
Richie