Probate & Estate Administration in Reston, VA

Serving Northern VA, DC, and MD

Probate can be a confusing and complicated process if you are unprepared for what is required. All assets must be fully accounted for, and all debts determined. Furthermore, depending on the debt of the deceased, creditors and credit card companies may try to over-reach what they can legally collect.

At Zell Law, we assist clients with all aspects of probate and trust administration, including the preparation of all financial and legal documentation. If necessary, we can also contest a will, or defend against any will contests.

Probate Administration in Reston

Our probate attorneys work through local probate courts to secure our clients’ estate planning objectives and preserve estate assets for future generations and charities.

Inheritances can end up in probate court in a variety of ways. The most common is the failure of the deceased to leave a will, or by holding assets in a manner that causes them to pass outside a will. Estates also end up in probate court when a family member challenges the will. 

Some common challenges made in probate court include:

• The competency of the deceased when the will was signed
• Improper execution of the will
• Duress or undue influence by another person in executing a will
• Inadequate consideration to a surviving spouse (who may be entitled to a 1/3 or 1/2 share of the estate)