{"id":3824,"date":"2005-05-05T16:08:34","date_gmt":"2005-05-05T20:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/05\/05\/probate-proves-hard-to-find-o"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:57:44","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:57:44","slug":"probate-proves-hard-to-find-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/05\/05\/probate-proves-hard-to-find-online\/","title":{"rendered":"probate proves hard to find online"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Thanks to <\/FONT>HALT<\/FONT><\/A>, I’ve got a great suggestion for estate lawyers who want a <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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better Law Day<\/FONT><\/A> in 2006: help put together a probate court website<\/EM> as good as <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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the one available from the <\/FONT>Vermont Probate<\/FONT><\/A> Courts.  Or, make one even better.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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HALT recently performed a survey of online probate resounces available from each <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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State.  (HALT eJournal<\/FONT><\/A><\/EM>,<\/FONT> “States Provide Few Probate Resources Online,” by Todd <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Chatman, May 5, 2005, free subscription available in the right SideBar).  The results <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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show most states provide no useful online information<\/EM> about <\/FONT>probate<\/FONT><\/A> (the legal <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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process by which you prove a will is valid and settle an estate).  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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someone else’s affair
you think…
lanterns for the dead<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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                      Issa<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/A>   <\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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HALT started the survey with the following question:  “If you need to probate an estate <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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in any U.S. state, can you find resources online to help you complete the process without <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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a lawyer?”   Here are some of the findings:<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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\"tiny “[A] dozen states (Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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and West Virginia) offer no information whatsoever, while the vast majority<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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offer little more than a basic definition of probate, leaving consumers with <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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little choice but to hire an attorney and pay expensive legal fees for what is <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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usually a simple and routine procedure.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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\"tiny <\/FONT>Vermont<\/FONT><\/A> scored highest because “consumers can find a wealth of information <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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about probate, including a step-by-step guide to administering and settling an <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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estate, links to local probate courts, links to necessary forms and instructions <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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for using them, and a complete explanation of Vermont’s special rules for <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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expedited small estate administration.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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\"tiny “[T]hree other states (<\/FONT>Maryland<\/FONT><\/A>, <\/FONT>New Hampshire<\/FONT><\/A>, <\/FONT>Connecticut<\/FONT><\/A>) and the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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District of Columbia<\/FONT><\/A> also provide useful information.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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The eJournal <\/EM>article ends with an important message:  “Probate is not the complex, <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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intimidating process many people believe it to be. For years HALT has encouraged <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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states to simplify their probate process- especially for small estate administration. <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Simplifying procedures and providing assistance to nonlawyers would make probate <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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more ‘user-friendly’ and help more people avoid unnecessary legal costs. We applaud <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Vermont’s steps in this direction and urge all states to follow its lead.”  Amen!<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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