Do I Need a Lawyer to Distribute Assets from Estate?

by B Reilly

Question:

My now deceased mom had a living trust and I am trustee. Do I need a lawyer to distribute her estate? She did not have any creditors.

Answer:

Assuming all the assets were placed in the living trust they should not need to go through probate which will make things easier for you.

However, you still might want to at least talk it over with an experienced estate planning lawyer. How difficult it will be to distribute the estate will depend on how large and/or complicated the estate is.

Also, whether you need to distribute assets to multiple beneficiaries (which might result in disputes) or just to one.

I'd strongly advise at least consulting with a probate attorney or living trust lawyer. They can at least give you an overview of what you would need to do if you do it yourself and what pitfalls to look out for. You might even be able to get a free initial consultation.

Good luck.