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Courts Fail to Offer Basic Information on Probate
By
ElderLawAnswers.com
 April 12, 2006 - Probate -- the process of proving
that a will is valid and of settling an estate -- is among the most
common legal procedures in the United States. Yet the overwhelming
majority of state courts fail to offer consumers basic online
information and resources about probate, according to a survey conducted
by
HALT,
a nonpartisan legal reform organization.
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In HALT's evaluation of state probate Web
resources, 29 states received a grade of "F" because they offer no or
minimal information about settling an estate, leaving consumers with
little choice but to hire an attorney.
"Consumers handle many legal tasks online -- from
filing taxes, to writing wills, to conducting business transactions,"
said HALT Program Director Theresa Meehan Rudy. "They should also be
able to handle routine probate matters online, but far too many courts
fail to post the information they need."
HALT's survey shows that only a handful of states
support consumers who want to tackle probate with excellent probate
guides and fill-in-the-blank forms online.
New Hampshire
scored highest in the survey with a solid "A" because its state court
Web site offers detailed information about the probate process, links to
local probate courts, provides timelines and checklists for executors
and is the only state to provide step-by-step instructions for
completing their forms online.
Tying for second place with an "A-" were
Connecticut, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. While none provides the
step-by-step instruction for filling in their forms that New Hampshire
provides, all offer very good information. Washington, for example,
features two excellent guides, When Someone Dies and Small Estate
Proceedings with step-by-step instructions for administering and
settling an estate, links to necessary forms, a glossary of legal terms,
and a list of helpful contacts and resources.
★
For more on the "National Probate Web Site Survey" and to see how your
state fared,
click here.
> HALT also offers a
"Survey of Small
Estate Nonprobate Procedures."
★
For more about probate from ElderLawAnswers,
click here.
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