Probate Lawyer Andrew Kern in Petaluma, CA

The loss of a loved one comes with overwhelming grief that most often takes a while to overcome. In most cases, in periods like this, there is the responsibility of handling legal issues such as settling the late person’s estate and transferring assets. This cannot be effectively done by the family, friend, or employee of the deceased as they will not be in full capacity to. Rather, it requires the skill of a reliable legal probate lawyer.

Probate Lawyer, Andrew Kern is a renowned lawyer whose career has benefited several people. In this article, we will discuss who he is and how he handles probate cases. Let’s get to know lawyer Andrew Kern.

Getting to Know Lawyer Andrew Kern

Andrew Kern is a professional and experienced attorney whose career started in 1987. Before he became a professional, he spent years studying. He performed well and passed the bar in 4 states. He specializes in tax, workers compensations, bankruptcy, and estates and trusts.

Andrew studied at Columbia University in N.Y.  He got an undergraduate degree from the school after finishing his program. To further his career pursuit, he studied and got a law degree at The Baylor School of Law in Texas. Established in 1857, this law school is the first one in Texas, affiliated with Baylor University, and accredited by The American Bar Association in the year 1931.

Andrew has been succeeding in his career pursuit as he has effectively handled several cases over the years and built a reputable name in the Legal world. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and a member of the Estate Planning Section of the Bar. To demonstrate his knowledge of Probate Law, Andrew had lectured on the topic for the National Business Institute.

Andrew is committed to building his career and knowledge, so he never stays off the radar or outdated. He stays current and informed about changes and updates in his career by continuously attending legal education classes and seminars and his skills and expertise has been recognized by a couple of gatherings and institutions. Lawyers possess skills that make them successful, you can visit here to discover 9 of those skills. He won the American Lawyer Media Award for Best Lawyer in 2013.

In 2023, he won the award for best probate Lawyers in Nepa and an award for best bankruptcy attorney in Santa Rosa from Expertise.com. Furthermore, he won the superb rating from Avvo in 2023, and in the same year, he won the peer-reviewed award from Martindale-Hubbell. This demonstrates that he performs effectively at his job.

Andrew Krent’s law office is located in Petaluma where he and his team are certified by the California State Bar specializing in probate law, estate planning, and trust. They are a legal office that offers services and counsel designed to meet the needs of their clients. Their mission is to provide the best advice for every case despite its complexity or size. Andrew Krent’s reputation is also reflected in how his team works.

The Probate Process

Probate is one of the services that Andrew Krent offers. It is a procedure handled by the court that determines how the assets of a deceased individual are distributed and shared with the legal or rightful heirs/beneficiaries. It is often conducted when a funded living trust doesn’t exist.

A probate can be conducted whether there’s an estate plan or valid will or not. This is because any individual with a legitimate claim to the assets can contest a will. However, the main goal of this process is to ensure that descendants or beneficiaries all get their rightful inheritance and that fraud is prevented.

Families and individuals can avoid this process and issues by creating estate plans, living trusts, and wills before the death of the settlor. In most cases, even when there is a constructed will or estate plan, some bills need to be paid before the property is divided. So, this process will have to be conducted by a probate attorney to determine the debts to be paid from the estate and effectively handle creditors with claims.

Working with a lawyer will benefit you greatly when there are legal issues that have to be dealt with when the property is divided according to the will. So, it is best to work with a professional who is local and understands the local laws. For example, if you live in Petaluma, it may be best to get a probate attorney in the bay area as this will make the process a lot more convenient for you.

How Andrew Kern Handles Probate Cases

Andrew Kern a probate lawyer has had years of experience handling cases. He has helped his clients with all the stages of probate proceedings including paperwork and administration. He has offered strategic legal counsel and helped significantly helped his clients. Andrew Kern and his team handle probate cases by:

Acting as Executor Administrator

Andrew Kern and his team acts as an executor for their client. An executor of a will is someone who is appointed to represent a deceased with their estate or execute their will. If necessary, an executor can apply for a probate to prove that the will is legal and can be used to divide the deceased assets.

This is a serious role to play. It involves gathering assets, appraising and compiling estate inventory, creating filing systems, and paying off the deceased’s debts and liabilities. These tasks are demanding and require the help of an expert.

Providing Administration

Andrew and his team also provide probate administration services to their clients. They effectively handle the process by offering guidance and representation throughout the different stages of attending meetings, presentations, and settlements. With their help, every aspect of the process is done in line with the law.

 Providing Litigation Services

Often when a person dies, people come with claims of debts, rightful inheritance, and others. Andrew and his team provide the legal solutions for these claims, especially during a probate process by guiding and representing their clients. If you want to know more about litigation cases, you can check here to discover litigation strategy. This makes the process less time-consuming and stressful.

Conclusion

Probate Lawyer Andrew Kern has been a lawyer for 36 years. He studied at Colombia University N.Y. and later went on to study Law at The Baylor Law School in Texas. With his degree in Law, he started his career in 1987. He has built his career to a reputable position and has a law office in Petaluma where he and his team provide estate planning and probate services.