Maryland Probate and Estate Administration Law Firm
At Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A. in Silver Spring, we help executors and trustees carry out their obligations. We assist them with their fiduciary duties and other responsibilities and, in general act as advisors to personal representatives.
To learn how our lawyers can assist with any matter relating to probate, estate administration or trust administration, please contact our law firm. We provide probate, estate and trust administration services to people throughout Montgomery County and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Conscientious and Caring
E-mail or Call (301) 587-2240
An executor or administrator, also known as a personal representative, is the individual named to implement the instructions expressed in a will. More often than not, people called upon to serve as personal representatives have no previous experience in the role. It is a weighty and time-consuming responsibility, and can be especially challenging when there is discord among the beneficiaries of the deceased. Feeney & Kuwamara, P.A. can help mediate the situation.
A Trustee is the individual named to administer the assets of a trust. Sometimes, the individual named to serve as Trustee is the same person who created the trust. The trust may be for the benefit of the creator (commonly referred to as the "grantor" or "settlor") or for the benefit of others.
Regardless of whom the named beneficiaries of trusts are, the Trustee has a fiduciary duty to administer the trust in accordance with the terms as written in the document, as well as the applicable state and federal laws. It is imperative that one give careful consideration to the selection of the individual or individuals named to serve as Trustee of any trust.
Helping People through Difficult Times
We understand the difficulties that can arise following the death of a loved one. Our estate planning lawyers know how to help family members and others through these difficult times, and how to make the probate process go as smoothly as possible.
Some of the matters our firm handles include:
- Submitting wills to the probate court
- Gathering, documenting and appraising estate assets including insurance and retirement benefits
- Collecting payments due to the estate
- Paying funeral expenses, medical bills and other debts owed by the estate
- Ensuring that the executor is legally protected
- Selling assets as needed to finance necessary payments
- Preparing and filing income and estate tax returns
- Notifying Social Security, Civil Service, Veterans Administration and other authorities of the death
We are detail-oriented and knowledgeable about probate and estate administration. Our attorneys have nearly six decades of combined experience. In addition, before going into private practice, Diane K. Kuwamura worked as a law clerk for the Register of Wills for Montgomery County, where wills are probated.
Please contact Feeney & Kuwamura, P.A. by phone or e-mail. We can help guide you through the process of estate administration.
