Arbitration/Mediation/death with no will

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Expert: - 10/22/2007


Question
My father in-law died last week and had no will.  He was not married and has 2 sons.  Do we have to hire a lawyer or can we handle things on our own....we dont even know where to begin.  There is a home with a mortgage, several bank accounts, and one life insurance policy with a niece as the beneficiary.

Answer
Amy,

I am sorry to hear about your and your family's loss.

It depends where the property is located and where you father-in-law died.  There is a possibility the property can pass without a formal probate if it is small enough.  However, I still suggest your family pay a probate attorney for an hour of service to explain the local laws so that you know what to do to process the property.

Very truly yours,

Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D.

Arbitration/Mediation

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Paul D. Friedman, M.A., Ph.D., J.D.

Expertise

I am a licensed attorney and Judge Pro Tempore who has conducted and been involved in hundreds of mediations and thousands of arbitrations. I can answer questions regarding settlement conferences, mediations or arbitrations. I do not give legal advice over the internet and it would be helpful to list your location such as country or state.

For more information, you can view my website at WWW.EXPERTETHICS.COM

Experience

I am a licensed attorney, Judge Pro Tempore and adjunct professor.

Experience in the area
I have been a licensed attorney since 1989 and a Judge Pro Tempore since 2005. Additionally, I have a masters degree in bioethics and a doctorate of philosophy regarding comparative ethics

Organizations
State Bar of Arizona
State Bar of Colorado (inactive)
District of Columbia Bar (inactive)
Federal Bar
Licensed in Arizona District Court
Licensed in Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Licensed in the United States Supreme Court
American Bar Association
National Board of Trial Advocacy
American Association for Justice
Arizona Trial Lawyers Association
American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
Kennedy Institute of Ethics
National Association of Realtors

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Arts 1985
Juris Doctorate 1989
Master of Arts in Bioethics 2004
Doctorate of Philosphy 2006

Awards and Honors
Phi Beta Kappa
Multiple Who's Who

Publications
A list of my copyrighted publications and presentations is contained at WWW.EXPERTETHICS.COM

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