I work for a foreign government, and I’m trying to help a mother who unfortunately has had to come to the US to pick up the remains of her son after his death. While she is here, we’re trying to help her close his bank account, and I’m told (by those in my office who called his bank) that we need an attorney to fill out some paperwork.
Do I need to find an attorney that specializes in this sort of thing, or just any attorney? Also, are there attorneys who work to help poorer people with this kind of thing? The mother doesn’t have much money, so we want to make this as cheap as possible. How would I find that sort of attorney?
You probably need an attorney to take this through the entire probate process. Closing the bank account is just one aspect of what needs to be done to close everything out. Probate processes vary from state to state, so I would definitely consult with an attorney.
Have her call the local bar association.
Ask for a lawyer specializing in this kind of thing.
It is likely she can get a very low-cost initial appointment, wherein she can get a very good idea of what is involved and what the likely expenses will be.
While probate laws do vary state to state, whether the estate needs to be probated at all depends on the state. My MIL’s estate was too small to be probated, for example.