I get emails on a daily basis from people who are in the middle of an estate settlement and they are frustrated due to a lack of communication or trust between the parties involved. Or perhaps they are frustrated because there was no thought-out step-by-step plan from the outset to complete matters from start to finish. I typically do not get involved at that point because things are a mess and I prefer not to get in the middle of that. Contact us first and our specialty is communicating openly with all of the parties to develop a clear plan to complete the estate settlement quickly and easily, avoiding conflicts that destroy family relationships and the legacy that is left behind.
Here's the basic steps that we put families through when we start a Louisiana Succession that allows there to be open communication and trust between the parties involved:
- Review and discuss the legal documents left behind (if there were any)
- Create a step-by-step plan, in writing, for how each asset and debt of the deceased is to be handled. The parties may agree, for example, to sell the family home, but distribute the stock in kind to the heirs. Building consensus with a plan is what keeps communication and trust.
- Have the executor (if a Will exists) confirmed, or an Administrator (if no Will) appointed. We complete all of this legal paperwork quickly in this first meeting with the parties which makes the process move along much quicker.
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