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Transcript - Probate Made Easy

My name is Jules Haas and I’m a attorney practicing here in New York for over 30 years. A large part of my practice concerns the probate and estate settlement with respect to decedent’s estate. In fact my blog is called the New York Probate Law blog. Many times clients come to me and they’re confused about what probate means. In fact sometimes they say, well, you know, it sounds like a very mysterious type of thing. But in fact, probate is not very mysterious. What probate is, is essentially the validity of a will. Right? When a person passes away, the court must validate a person’s last will, in order for it become effective. What the probate process is, is the validity of the will and the court saying that this will is valid. In order for a will to be declared valid by the court it needs to be signed and prepared in fa way that is according to the statues in New York. For instance, there must be at least two witnesses, the will should be writing, it has to be signed and declared by the person who is preparing it, meaning the testator in a certain manner. As long as the will is done according to those aspects of the law, the court will validate it. The probate process also is fairly straight forward and it’s provided in the various laws in New York which are the estates powers and trust law and the surrogate’s court procedure act. Essentially, when you go to probate a will, a person fills out a petition, to file with the court which contains all of the information regarding the decedent and the last will, the names of the witnesses, the value of the estate and who the next of kin are. That petition along with the original will is filed with the court. Once that is done, proper notice has to be given to all of the close family members. It’s usually a rare instance when a will is contested, although the courts are filled with will contests. The fact of the matter is that most will contests do not invalidate a will as long as will is prepared properly by a professional. So, rather than it being a mystery, the most important thing a person should do is sit down with someone, an attorney, discuss what’s needed to prepare a will, and what’s involved in the probate process. This way a person can feel comfortable about benefitting their family members, preparing an estate plan and not worry about what will happen when their will needs to be probated.

Client Reviews
★★★★★
I am very grateful to Mr. Jules Martin Haas attorney of law in New York. I am from Buenos Aires Argentina. He managed with expertise a very difficult situation. of a complicate heritage from my aunt Anna Grodzka that lived and died a very long time ago in New York. I recommend him not only for his extraordinary knowledge but also for his kindness. Irma CW Peusner
★★★★★
I found Mr. Haas after being misguided by a former attorney. Mr. Jules Haas took our case which involved an estate/trust dispute. What initially seemed like an impossible and overwhelming legal fight was now in the hands of someone who had the integrity and legal expertise to win our case. Mr Haas' attention to detail and his expert knowledge base, skillfully and successfully guided us through an intricate legal process. I am very thankful and grateful to Mr. Jules Haas for representing our interest and ultimately winning. Bringing about a peace of mind we needed. Thank You Devida Nedd
★★★★★
I was in need of a guardianship attorney and I hired the services of Jules M. Haas' Law firm. The service of counselor Haas and his staff, was very profesional and the case was handled in a timely matter. I would strongly recommend his services Angel Guevara
★★★★★
I strongly recommend Jules Haas. I have worked with him for two years and he has provided so much support and followed through with everything he promised he would do. His support staff is just as helpful! We had an interesting case and he helped to solve each part of it legally and was very thorough. Thank you for everything you have done to finalize our families estate Robyn Stafford
★★★★★
Jules Haas helped me with managing the process in probate court for my father's estate through to its completion upon the sale of my father's house. He was knowledgeable, efficient, and effective in submitting documentation to the probate court, explaining procedures to me, and advising me as to the progress of my case. His support staff was also very helpful. He made what for me created so much anxiety into something manageable where I could see progress every step of the way. His fees were very reasonable. I am super grateful to him for all the help he has provided and strongly recommend his services. Diana Janer
★★★★★
I just completed an estate transaction where Jules Haas represented my client in an estate and he did a great job! He was very quick at responding to all matters throughout the sale process, he was detailed, he was knowledgeable and he was a pleasure to work with. I just recommended him to some new clients who are going through an estate matter and will continue to recommend him. Rodolfo Lucchese