Estate Administration Mt. Pleasant SC

Rely on Professional Estate Administration in Mt. Pleasant SC

After the death of a loved one, you’re already busy enough with funeral preparation. And on top of everything, you must also manage their estate! Furthermore, without guidance from a professional, you’re stuck relying on how-to guides and articles on the internet. Instead of adding stress to an already delicate time in your life, allow Buxton & Collie, LLC to assist with estate administration in Mt. Pleasant SC. We’re the attorneys South Carolina residents turn to for their estate planning concerns.

The Steps to Estate Administration

Whether an executor is appointed by a will or probate court, the job of managing an estate can be a long and challenging process. However, with guidance from Buxton & Collie, we can help you through the main steps of the estate administration process.

1. Filing a Will – If a will exists for the deceased, you will first file it with probate court. Ideally, a will can provide a framework for the division of most of an estate, per the deceased’s wishes.
2. Collection of Assets – Next, you’ll compile all assets associated with an estate. Assets can include possessions, money, property, and more.
3. Settling Debts – After you have an idea of the value of an estate, any existing debts associated with the deceased must be resolved. Whatever assets have been compiled can be used to pay creditors, the IRS, probate court and other third parties.
4. Tax Returns – Speaking of the IRS, tax returns must be filed one last time for your loved one.
5. Distribution of Assets – Finally, after you and your attorney organize all assets and settle all debts, it’s time to distribute the remaining estate to relatives or inheritors. Per a will’s request, any listed inheritors will have first rights to an estate. Additionally, if trusts exist, this is the time where their contents will be given to the appropriate parties if requirements are met.
6. Final Account – The last step for an executor an attorney is to file a final account of the estate with probate court. A final account should include income since the date of death, a list of debts paid, the final recipients of the estate, etc.

Planning Ahead

If there’s one thing that can make estate administration in Mt. Pleasant SC more challenging, it’s the absence of wills or trusts. Without either, a probate court will take charge of the division of your estate. And in this scenario, an estate can lose more value, and it’s more difficult for living relatives to have a say on how assets are divided. Instead, allow Buxton & Collie to help prepare your estate. We provide professional estate planning for individuals and families throughout South Carolina.

Call Our Office

In the unfortunate loss of a loved one, do everything you can to meet their and your own needs with professional estate administration in Mt. Pleasant SC. Call the attorneys at Buxton & Collie, LLC, today. You can contact us at 843-606-2397 to request a consultation. Also, our office is located at 940 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Ste 100, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464.