Estate Planning Lawyer in St. Charles, MO

It’s important to plan your estate. After all, it’s the best way to avoid putting your friends and family through unnecessary drama after your death. Your loved ones need time to properly grieve, and it’s difficult to deal with grief if you’re struggling with mountains of paperwork and infighting over who gets what out of an estate – no matter how big or small.

Fortunately, the team at Legacy Law Center are ready to help you help your loved ones. With the right estate plan in place, you can minimize the difficulties that come with your passing. Read on to learn more about how an estate planning lawyer in St. Charles MO can help, and see what Legacy Law Center can do for you.

What is an Executor?

When you create a will, you name someone you trust to handle your estate after your death. That person is the executor. Many people assume that when they die, their assets are immediately divided and distributed amongst their beneficiaries. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your estate needs to be handled by a single person – the executor – as they navigate your loved ones through the probate process.

What is Probate?

Probate is the process through which all of your assets are distributed. It’s a challenging process, and it can lead to plenty of argumentation and debate if your family members and friends aren’t willing to work together. Probate takes a long time, and it needs to be managed by your executor.

Probate has many steps. It involves tracking down your beneficiaries and informing them that they’re included in your will, but it also involves getting in touch with third parties who will be responsible for valuing all of your estate’s contents. Of course, there are also fees and taxes to be paid, and each person who is named (or not named) in the will may feel the need to contest it, adding additional delays to the entire process.

Is it Possible to Have the Executor Removed?

The executor is meant to act in accordance with the will. A failure to do so may open them up to removal, or even lawsuits. However, there are some instances in which an executor may act against the will’s instructions. For example, if there’s anything that is unclear or ambiguous, the executor may have good cause to ignore or act contrary to the instructions. 

However, if you feel that the executor is consistently failing to follow the instructions in a will, it’s possible to have them removed. The court will have to find someone else to handle the estate, but it can be worth the legal battle if you choose to have the executor removed.

Contact Legacy Law Center Today

At Legacy Law Center, we understand that probate is a lengthy and challenging process. We also understand that it’s more important than ever to get in touch with an experienced legal representative who can help you and your family through grief – while minimizing all the paperwork. Reach out to us today and see how we can help.